The deputy delegate of the Government in Lugo, Isabel Rodríguez, held a meeting with the president of FADEMUR, Verónica Marcos, and several representatives of the Federation of Rural Women, in which she highlighted the support of the Government to the livestock sector of the province in its fight against diseases that affect cattle and that are causing great economic damage to farms. Thus, he clarified the origin of the announced aid line and regretted that, once again, the Xunta tries to sell as its own some funds that are transferred by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
The subdelegate reported that the BOE published the royal decree approved in the Council of Ministers last week, which includes the regulatory bases of the aid of 23 million euros to the Spanish livestock sector to compensate the expenses caused by the Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHE), finance the National Program for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis and the purchase of vaccines against the bluetongue serotype 8.
In the case of Galicia, the aid to alleviate the damage caused to the farms by the EHE amounts to 2.8 million euros, which represents half of the 5.6 million announced by the Ministry of Rural Environment for the farms affected. The deputy delegate reiterated “the importance of maintaining institutional loyalty and transparency to row all administrations for and for the benefit of Galician livestock farmers.”
In this same vein, he added that, despite the fact that animal health is an exclusive competence of the autonomous communities, the ministry headed by Luis Planas decided to strengthen with state funds the aid to livestock farms to mobilize more than 30 million euros throughout the country.
Purpose of the grants
The aid will be intended to compensate for the loss of animals, for the disinsectation of farms and for the veterinary costs incurred by the farmer to combat this disease, including disbursements for the purchase of vaccines for those farmers who decide voluntarily to use it.
In this way, the Government fulfills its commitment announced at the National Forum of Extensive Livestock, held in Toledo in May, to launch a national program of economic support to farmers affected by the EHE, a disease that arrived in Spain in 2022 and had a significant impact on cattle in most of the country since then.
To combat it, the Ministry of Agriculture also pledged to work with pharmaceutical companies to make an effective vaccine available to the sector. The government’s impetus allowed this vaccine to be available since last August and can be used voluntarily.