The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, and the Deputy Minister of the Primary Sector, Eduardo García, are participating in an institutional visit to Mallorca to strengthen the collaboration between the two archipelagos and address common challenges such as administrative simplification, the availability of water resources, synergies between the primary sector and other sectors, territorial planning for the promotion of agricultural and livestock activity, and agri-food promotion, among other matters.
During these two days, the Canarian delegation has visited, together with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment of the Balearic Government, Joan Simonet, different locations of interest that will allow them to learn firsthand the methodologies of work of the regional Executive and the characteristics of its primary and agri-food sectors.
Thus, this meeting follows the line of cooperation initiated in 2024, in which several members of the government team traveled to the Canary Islands for the exchange of experiences and aspects related to agricultural, livestock, and fishing management.
In this regard, Narvay Quintero, has highlighted that «these working days allow to continue strengthening ties between two island territories that share many of the challenges in agricultural and fishing matters». On the other hand, he pointed out that “Canary Islands and Balearic Islands share many similarities as island territories and, precisely for that reason, we also face common challenges that demand dialogue, cooperation and a constant exchange of experiences”.
“We are interested in knowing the direct sales model in agricultural companies, because they add value to local productions, strengthen the link between producer and consumer and open new profitability opportunities for farms. These are formulas that contribute to establishing economic activity in the territory and making the sector more competitive,” added the head of the Canarian department, who also indicated that both archipelagos coincide in the decided commitment to agritourism as a tool to diversify incomes, enhance the agricultural landscape and generate complementary income for our professionals.
In this regard, he/she commented that “in the Canary Islands we have promoted this line especially from the wine-growing sector, but we understand that it should continue to extend to other subsectors, such as the olive oil sector, due to its enormous potential”. “Furthermore, in this framework, it is also particularly interesting to advance in the sharing of measures aimed at reducing the bureaucratic burden on our producers, a problem that we share and a priority for both governments in order to continue boosting our primary sector”, he/she added.
For his part, Joan Simonet, has indicated that “it is not just about sharing problems, but about sharing solutions that are already working and that we can adapt among island territories”. He has also stressed that “we are clear that the future involves producing with quality, differentiating ourselves and selling better, but also generating added value and connecting the primary sector with other areas such as tourism”. “Balearic Islands and Canary Islands share the same reality and, therefore, also the need to jointly defend their interests before the State and the European Union”.
During the meeting, in which were also present the general director of Agri-food Quality and Local Product, Joan Llabrés, the general director of Fisheries, Antoni M. Grau, the managing director of the Institute for Agri-food and Fisheries Research and Training of the Balearic Islands (IRFAP), Georgina Brunet and the managing director of the Agricultural and Fisheries Guarantee Fund of the Balearic Islands (FOGAIBA), Joan Coll, the delegations are holding working meetings and technical visits to exchange knowledge related to various areas of the sector.
Specifically, the program began this morning with a visit to Finca Treurer, a commercial brand belonging to Castellitx Agrícola SAT, an agricultural transformation society recognized for the production and commercialization of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Currently, they have 3000 dryland olive trees, which generates a production of 20,000 liters annually. In addition, they have their own oil mill where they organize guided tours with experiences that include, among other proposals, enjoying the production process.
In this regard, its recent expansion stands out with an online store that registers exports to markets such as the American one, its own hotel and restaurant. Thus, the tour of the facilities of this family business focused on sustainable agriculture allowed exploring and delving into topics such as the integration of agricultural production with transformation, commercialization, and tourist activity. Beyond this, the fusion of the sector with tourism stands out, along with other tools to improve the profitability of farms and through initiatives such as enogastronomy and the generation of experiences in the territory.
This Friday, visits are scheduled to the Lonja de Palma to witness the fish auction and to the Pere Garau Market. After this tour, the president of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, will receive the Canarian delegation. Subsequently, at noon, the delegation will arrive at the Cooperativa Camp Mallorquí de Consell, founded in 1983 and dedicated to the processing and commercialization of agricultural products, among which Mallorca's almonds and carob beans stand out.
Finally, the trip will conclude with a visit to Terracor, a group of agricultural producers who started their activity in 1974 by five partners and currently manage more than 300 hectares of cultivation. Their main activity focuses on the production and commercialization of local fruits and vegetables and aromatic herbs under an integrated production system that makes balanced use of traditional and ecological techniques to minimize the environmental impact of their activity.