by The Minister of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, David Mascort, assures that there is room to relax the drought restrictions that affect farmers and ranchers. “We must ensure that the limitations are not hard tanned for the sector. We will analyze how we can modulate the percentages that limit irrigation by 80% to agriculture and the use of water by 50% to livestock,” he reported after participating in the sixth citizen assembly for the climate held in Girona.
Soften the measures of the Special Drought Plan It is one of the claims registered this week by the agricultural unions in Parliament. After the agricultural board and the Catalan executive met in the last few hours, Mascort has announced that the Government will analyze the formal proposal that the farmers will make to try to apply it: “We modify the plan to ease some restrictions, but we still have to look at the details of the proposal to see how we finalize it.
“We will make a one-stop shop available to farmers that will facilitate their daily lives”
In fact, in line with making the measures more flexible, the minister has recognized that The restriction of 50% of consumption for livestock farmers is not being applied a slam dunk. “The animals must continue drinking and it makes no sense to reduce their water by half, because you cannot let the dairy cows die,” she explained. In the document presented by the representatives of the agrarian board (unions and federation of cooperatives) there will be other measures that the Government must study to check if they can “fit” into the current drought plan.
“You can’t ask them for patience”
mascort has stated that progress is being made to respond to the demands of farmers and ranchers. “We sure aren’t going fast enough.but we are working on it,” he justified. Another of the sector’s requests is to eliminate excess bureaucracy, which collapses their days. The leader responsible for agriculture has registered that there is a table that works on simplifying this paperwork. constant: “We have already eliminated or combined some procedures and we will make available to the farmers a single window that makes your day-to-day life easier.” Mascort has highlighted the aid that has been given to farmers dedicated to olive harvesting, agreed upon in the last few hours.
The councilor has admitted that he understands the sector’s anger: “You cannot ask them for patience.” Regarding the protests scheduled for the coming days, he has said that farmers have the right to demand what they believe is fair and to do so in the way they consider appropriate. He has also demanded changes in the food chain law, both in the state and in Europe.
Rains and emergency
Mascort has also updated the water crisis scenario that Catalonia is experiencing, with most of the population of the internal basins in an emergency phase due to drought. “It’s great news that it rains“, Mascort celebrated, in relation to the rainfall this weekend, although it will not be nearly enough to alleviate the current situation: “Our obligation is to extend the water we have as much as we can, but we cannot resist a drought of more than 40 months“.
The Sau reservoir from a drone view, with 4.74% water and all the buildings visible. / Jordi Borràs / ACN
Asked when the phase 2 of the emergency (right now ’emergency 1′ applies), mascort He explained that I don’t know how to know, because it depends on the water consumed and the possible spring rains. However, he has highlighted that citizens are spending less than years ago: “In December, consumption decreased.. And I am sure that when we have the data for January there will be another small decrease. People are doing things well.” The councilor admits that the Administration is pending the construction of anti-drought infrastructure (desalination and water treatment plants) that will allow the metropolitan region to be “self-sufficient” and depend less on reservoirs.
citizen assembly
Mascort, this Saturday, spoke at the sixth citizen assembly for the climate. 100 citizens who have been training in recent months have sent proposals to the Government, especially in two aspects: “How to advance in renewables and what agri-food model Catalonia needs.” The counselor has committed to accept the maximum number of initiatives (as long as they are viable) proposed by this group promoted by the department.
