May 4.- The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, today presided over the Sectoral Conference of Agriculture and Rural Development, today agreed the distribution of 43,761,202.93 euros in Castilla y León for the financing of different agricultural and livestock programs. Most of this amount corresponds to the distribution of a credit of 29,552,155.57 euros for the financing of the Rural Development Programmes and the interventions of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
In 2023, two programming periods coexist: the period 2014-2022 with the rural development programs, and the first year of implementation of the period 2023-2027 of the CAP Strategic Plan. Minister Planas explained that these programs include support measures 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.
PRTR INVESTMENTS IN ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH
Likewise, the Sectoral Conference approved the distribution of 1,278,954.65 euros, corresponding to line C3.I3 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) for 2023, intended to finance projects in the field of animal and plant health, which reinforce the systems of training and biosecurity in nurseries; and for investments in cleaning and disinfection centers of vehicles of terrestrial transport of animals.
These funds will allow technological improvements, such as automation, robotization, the installation of new systems for cleaning and disinfection, or the installation of systems for the verification of cleaning and disinfection.
COMPETITIVENESS AND QUALITY OF PRODUCTION AND MARKETS
Likewise, 3,197,960.41 euros have been approved for various aid lines of the Competitiveness and Quality of Production and Markets Programme.
A total of 723,626.47 euros has also been agreed for the Beekeeping Sector Intervention (ISA), within the framework of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). These funds are channelled through the following types of intervention: advisory services and technical assistance; investments in material and intangible assets (including actions to combat beehive aggressors, rationalization of transhumance, repopulation of the bee herd and prevent damage from adverse climatological phenomena); analysis of honey and bee products; preserving or increasing the number of existing beehives; research on beekeeping; support for promotion and marketing and product quality.
Within this programme, the Sectoral Conference has approved 120,833.30 euros to help the associations of breeders of recognized indigenous breeds for the management of genealogical books and the development of activities related to improvement programmes and germplasm banks.
In addition, EUR 294,062.00 is intended to finance the implementation of official control of milk yield for genetic evolution in bovine, ovine and caprine species. The objective of this aid is to subsidise the costs generated by the activities of the official dairy control, the purpose of which is the genetic assessment of the breeders involved in the breeding breeding programmes.
Another 224,778.00 euros will finance the line of quality of plant varieties and certification of reproduction materials. This supports the implementation of tests that allow the agronomic evaluation of new plant varieties and the analysis of the quality and certification of seeds and nursery plants.
COMPETITIVENESS AND QUALITY OF AGRICULTURAL HEALTH
In addition, the Agricultural Health Competitiveness and Quality Programme will have funding of EUR 1,834,660.64, of which EUR 462,195.58 will go to the pest prevention and control line and EUR 1,372,465.06 to eradicate diseases. The minister has valued this aid both for its implications for animal health, public health and for its contribution to the viability of livestock farms.
SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND MILK
In addition, the Sectoral Conference has authorized the distribution of Community funds for the academic year 2023/2024 corresponding to the School Fruit, Vegetable and Milk Consumption Programme for the academic year 2023/2022, as well as the reallocation of funds from this programme for the academic year 2022/2023, which together total 1,609,097 euros.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food attaches great importance to promoting the consumption of fruit, vegetables and milk among children, as well as inculcating healthy eating habits as a fundamental measure to combat childhood obesity.
PROMOTION OF WINE IN THIRD COUNTRIES
Among the different types of measures included in the Wine Sector Intervention are the activities of promotion and communication of wine in markets of third countries. On the basis of the requests submitted by the autonomous communities to finance these activities, the granting of the maximum allowable subsidy (50%) to 111 programs in Castilla y León has been authorized, which represents an amount of aid from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), for 2024, of 6,695,869.02 euros.
The allocation of 1,427,166.28 euros has also been authorised to subsidise projects corresponding to the investment measure of the Wine Sector Support Programme (PASVE) for the period 2019-2023, which were not included in previous calls for proposals.