The Parliament of the Canary Islands held this Tuesday the first meeting of the Conecta Canarias-Europa Conference dedicated, in its second edition, to the reality of agriculture, livestock and fishing, under the title Challenges and opportunities of the primary sector.
During its inauguration, the president of the Chamber, Astrid Pérez, insisted that this sector is going through "many difficulties" in the Canary Islands, where it is harmed by remoteness and insularity, which requires "differentiated treatment by the European Union".
The president has warned that the primary sector is "dying"; in 1977 there were 350,000 tons harvested and in 2022 it has gone to 22,000 tons, data that demonstrate the importance of "talking seriously" about this sector, which demands an increase in the financial file of the European Union to compensate for the increase in the cost of production.
"Without European contribution it could not survive", said Astrid Pérez, who lamented that the primary sector is going through a difficult time with a decline in cultivated area in the last decade, vineyards have been reduced by 26% and tomatoes by 30%, although avocados have increased by 167%. "Europe cannot cut support" and, in the defense of the primary sector, "there are no political colors and, therefore, the objective of these conferences is to reach joint conclusions to be presented to the European Committee of the Regions", explained the president.
After the president, the day continued with the intervention of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, who pointed out that "the European aid of the Posei to compensate for the extra costs of Canarian agriculture and livestock has remained frozen at 268.42 million euros per year from 2007 until now, and should be at 357.27 million only for the increase in the CPI. If an increase of 45% in the increase in costs is included, the revision of the Posei would be 389.21 million". Quintero also indicated that the primary sector in the Canary Islands has supported an increase of 52% in the extra costs in the last 17 years.
After the counselor, a colloquium was held with the participation of Antonio López, representative of ASAGA Canarias (Association of Farmers and Ranchers of the Canary Islands) and manager of ASOCAN (Exporters and Harvesters of Flowers and Live Plants of the Canary Islands); Sergio Rodríguez, general secretary of Palca (Free Agrarian Platform of the Canary Islands); Lorenzo Brito, president of the Regional Federation of Fishermen's Associations of the Canary Islands, and Omar Viña, vice president of the Business Association of Livestock and Dairy Industry of the Canary Islands (AEGIL) and representative of the Association of Ranchers Maramajo.
The second part of the day included the presentations of Carmen Calzadilla, coordinator of the Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Agencies of the Island Council of Tenerife; Carmen Crespo Díaz, member of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament and president of the Fisheries Committee; Samara Dionis Delgado, Head-section Department of Environmental Analysis of the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands and, to close the interventions, Daniel Acosta and Ithaisa Márquez, representative of VIDAGAE Maxofarm Aquaculture and biochemical technician, respectively.
The Conecta Canarias-Europa Conference, an initiative of the presidency of the Chamber, will be extended for two days and will be broadcast in streaming through the website of the Canarian Parliament and its social networks. Will return this Wednesday, at 10.00 hours, with more representatives of the primary sector in the Canary Islands.