The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, announced in the Congress of Deputies that the Government will provide direct aid of up to €10,000 for farmers and ranchers who have suffered losses due to this summer’s forest fires.
Planas explained that the aid will be processed automatically, without the need for an application or submission of documentation, with the aim of ensuring payments arrive before the end of the year and as quickly as possible.
Two Lines of Support
The package announced by the minister includes two types of aid:
Aid for agricultural policyholders: all policyholders with current policies in municipalities affected by major fires will receive additional support that will supplement the ordinary insurance subsidy up to 70% of the premium.
Direct aid for those affected (insured and uninsured): this will be equivalent to 20% of the agricultural income declared in the last available financial year, with a minimum of €1,500 and a maximum of €10,000. For insured persons who have declared a fire claim, the minimum will be raised to €6,000.
The minister emphasized that this aid will be compatible with agricultural insurance compensation, with the measures promoted by the autonomous communities, and with European funds that may be activated through the agricultural reserve requested by Spain.
Impact of the fires
The fires recorded this summer have been the most serious on record in Spain:
- More than 370,000 hectares burned.
- Nearly 30,000 hectares of crops affected.
Approximately 3,000 livestock farms damaged, of which 2,000 are pastures.
“What we are seeking is to compensate for the enormous increase in expenses these farms have incurred as a result of the fires,” said Planas, who also called for avoiding the partisan use of this crisis.
Spain defends its interests in the CAP 2028-2034
In his parliamentary intervention, the minister also referred to the future reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2028-2034. Planas reiterated his rejection of the European Commission’s initial proposal, both in terms of budget allocation and the proposed governance model.
“It will be a very complicated negotiation, but with the unity of agricultural organizations, cooperatives, and autonomous communities, I am confident that we will achieve a good result for Spain,” he concluded.
