The Cabildo of Lanzarote triples subsidies for the primary sector

In particular, these financial aids are aimed at subsidizing the "purchase of materials, the contracting of services for agricultural activity and satisfying the irrigation demand of farmers", revealed Oswaldo Betancort

July 3 2024 (10:10 WEST)
Lanzarote Council triples subsidies for the primary sector
Lanzarote Council triples subsidies for the primary sector

The Cabildo of Lanzarote will triple the subsidies for the transport of water in tanks for the primary sector. The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, has described as "excellent" the response of the farmers of Lanzarote and La Graciosa to Line 1 of subsidies that the Institution launched a few weeks ago, since up to 80 applications have been received, compared to 62 in 2023.

"In addition, this 2024 we have expanded the expenses subject to subsidy, allocating at least 1,600,000 euros in aid to the primary sector, that is, triple the economic amount that we granted last year," highlights the president. The main objective is to satisfy the irrigation demand of farmers and to be able to transport the water they need in tanks," says Betancort.

The president, and also Minister of Agriculture, has thanked the staff of the Insular Agrarian Service (Experimental Agricultural Farm) for the work they do to advise applicants and process "in record time" each of the calls planned for this year: "The Farm is resolving these days Line 1 of subsidies, for which, in addition, we have already planned to enable funds from the Treasury surplus. And, in addition, we can already announce that the next economic support from the Cabildo will be those destined for livestock rearing," detailed Oswaldo Betancort.

Regarding these operating expenses of agricultural holdings, which will be financed with "1.6 million euros of own funds", the criteria of the previous year are maintained; but in addition, the Department of Agriculture has introduced "new support to encourage the development of the primary sector". This expansion of the aid expense letter has made it easier for the Cabildo of Lanzarote to distribute, when the file is definitively resolved, "triple the subsidies than those granted in 2023, when they were 571,000 euros".

"Improve the profitability" of agricultural holdings

The subsidies of the Cabildo of Lanzarote for operating expenses in agricultural holdings (Line 1) aim to "improve the profitability of agricultural holdings on the island and La Graciosa, promoting the contracting of services necessary for agricultural activity, such as the transport of water tanks, transport of goods, advice, agricultural machinery work and labor for specific agricultural tasks; and, likewise, the hiring of own personnel is subsidized".

In particular, these financial aids are aimed at subsidizing expenses such as the "purchase of materials and supplies necessary" for agricultural activity: stone, sand or picón, soil, manure, fertilizers, boxes, containers, seeds, trees, plants, tools, phytosanitary products and traps, material for irrigation filters, maintenance fees for the use of agricultural software and water.

The beneficiaries of these aids are farmers registered in the ROPO for the case of natural persons or in the REGEPA for the case of legal persons, the latter having their registered office in Lanzarote or La Graciosa. In addition, both natural and legal persons must have an agricultural water meter (be a user and payer) or be registered in the Regulatory Council of the DO Wines of Lanzarote

"The minimum area of the agricultural holding to access this Line 1 insular subsidy is 10,000 m²", according to a graphic declaration of the SIGPAC. "The minimum amount of the cost of the activity had to be 4,000 euros, for a maximum subsidy of 10,000 euros per hectare and a maximum amount of 40,000 euros of subsidy per beneficiary".

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