Agriculture allocates 10.4 million euros to Asturias for different interventions

The Government allocates 10.4 million euros to Asturias, from the territorial allocation agreed on Wednesday at the Sectoral Conference on Agriculture and Rural Development of the loan of 226,472,660 euros to finance rural development interventions, different actions in the field of competitiveness and quality of production and agricultural markets, the Community Support Program for Agricultural Productions (POSEI) of the Canary Islands and school programs for the promotion of the consumption of fruit and vegetables and milk.

Rural development

The main loan, 158,225,557 euros, corresponds to the State contribution for rural development actions of the autonomous communities contained in the National Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027. From this item, Asturias is worth 9.5 million euros.

This plan includes support measures of a different nature, aimed at improving the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and action against the climate and achieving a balanced territorial development of rural areas. These measures are financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and contributions from the General Administration of the State and the autonomous communities themselves.

Agriculture and Livestock

The Sectoral Conference has also agreed on the territorial distribution of five credits worth 30,232,644.62 for the financing of various lines of action in the field of quality and competitiveness of production and markets. The main amount, 21 million euros, corresponds to the Community Support Program for Agricultural Production (POSEI) of the Canary Islands.

Promotion of beekeeping. Under the Competitiveness and Quality of Production and Markets programme, a credit of EUR 4.58 million has been authorised for the beekeeping promotion line. More than 94,500 euros are allocated to Asturias. For the distribution of this amount, the number of hives registered in the Register of Livestock Farms (REGA) has been taken into account and, among other issues, the official program for the surveillance of aggressions and diseases in this species, particularly of varroosis, will be financed.

Quality of plant varieties and certification of reproductive materials. With a loan of 1.75 million euros, this line supports the execution of tests that allow the agronomic evaluation of new plant varieties and the maintenance of the certification system, through quality control and health of seeds and nursery plants. Asturias is worth 18,000 euros.

Promotion of Spanish indigenous races. Likewise, a loan has been authorized for the promotion of indigenous Spanish races amounting to 1.45 million euros, of which more than 83,333 euros are for Asturias. With this line, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food supports the associations of native breeders recognized by the autonomous communities for the management of genealogical books and the development of activities related to improvement programs and germplasm banks.

Control of milk yield. Within this same line of management and promotion of livestock improvement and conservation of biodiversity, a credit of another 1.45 million euros is provided for the official control of milk yield, of which 83.125 euros correspond to Asturias. This appropriation will support the genetic evaluation of bovine, ovine and caprine species and the improvement of the competitiveness of farms. POSEI from the Canary Islands. The largest amount, EUR 21 million, is allocated to the Community Support Programme for Agricultural Production (POSEI) of the Canary Islands, which includes measures aimed at alleviating the conditions to which the agriculture of the archipelago is subjected due to its remoteness, insularity, fragmentation of the territory and other difficulties derived from its location, orography and economic characteristics.

School programmes for fruit and vegetables and milk

The Sectoral Conference has also agreed on the territorial distribution of funds allocated by the European Union to Spain for school fruit and vegetable and milk programmes, which aim to promote the consumption of these products among children and inculcate healthy eating habits as a means of combating obesity. The agreement includes the distribution of the funds of both programs corresponding to the 2026/2027 academic year, with a total of 13.4 million euros for fruit and vegetables, with 204,505 euros for Asturias; and just over six million euros for milk, of which 99.140 euros are for Asturias.

In addition, a reallocation of funds is made for the current academic year, 2025/2026, for total amounts of 13.2 million euros for the fruit and vegetable program, with 202,933 euros for Asturias; and 5.3 million euros for the milk program, of which 99.958 euros are for Asturias.

Advisory Council

In the Consultative Council of Common Agricultural Policy for Community Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has announced that in the coming weeks the different working groups between the ministry and the autonomous communities will be convened to explore the contents that the national plan for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should have from 2028, once the European institutions reach an agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework.

The minister explained that the government and the autonomous communities have a common opposition to the structure and budget allocation of the initial proposal of the European Commission on the future CAP, but that it is convenient to start the debate and the establishment of positions at the national level, because once the Multiannual Financial Framework is approved the whole process will accelerate.