The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, has announced that he will propose a specific support program for extensive livestock farming within the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This measure responds to the critical situation of the sector, which has been severely affected recently by forest fires, and is a strategic element of interest and concern for the Government.
Support for sheep and goats
Planas emphasized that the program will pay special attention to the sheep and goat sectors. Spain currently has a sheep herd of 16.6 million, of which more than 1.5 million were exported last year (50% to Morocco). Regarding goats, the herd amounts to 2.4 million, to which 6.6 million are added from the cattle sector.
Extensive Livestock Farming, a Key Element of the Territory
During his appearance before the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, the minister emphasized that extensive livestock farming plays an essential role in the care and management of the territory, helping to reduce the risk of fires spreading and sustaining life in rural areas.
Planas emphasized that, while “it is not the only solution” to fires, it is a vital activity for the rural world, and he wished to convey a message of hope to the professionals working in this production model.
Commitment to the Sector
The Minister of Agriculture recalled that the current CAP has already increased funding for livestock farming and reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to a sector that he considers fundamental to the economic, social, and environmental balance of the territory.
