SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 26 Aug. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Cabildo de Tenerife has granted a subsidy of 1,355,000 euros to the livestock sector of the island with the aim of defraying part of the expenses derived from the feeding of sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, rabbits and poultry on the island.
Thus, a total of 302 livestock farms will benefit from this aid, which will be paid in the coming weeks and which aims to contribute to the maintenance of productivity and the economic recovery of the sector.
The island councilor for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Javier Parrilla, recalls in a note that last April the urgency of four aids to the island’s livestock sector worth 1.7 million euros was declared, “with the aim to reduce uncertainty and that ranchers have the money as soon as possible, including these for food”.
Parrilla explains that this subsidy aims to compensate for the losses derived from the Covid health crisis, the increase in the price of feed and electricity, and to alleviate, as far as possible, the agri-food impact of the war in Ukraine.
In this way, “it contributes to curbing a reduction in livestock censuses on the island, offering greater possibilities of recovery to the sector,” he points out.
The insular official highlights that the urgency of aid for the execution of programs for the improvement of the quality of sheep and goat milk (endowed with 200,000 euros), for the preservation and improvement of native breeds (30,000 euros) ) and for livestock health defense groups on the island (100,000 euros).
“The latter was paid last June to seven associations -Ovican, Aprolec, Porcino de Tenerife, Agate, Avicola, Apiten and Caprino Guajara–, owners of a total of 173 livestock farms,” the island official abounds.
LOCAL MEAT CONSUMPTION
The counselor also emphasizes that the consumption of local meat in Tenerife has increased by 10 percent in the last three years, going from 3,881,403 kilos in 2019 to 4,272,702 in 2021.
In this sense, Javier Parrilla highlights the promotional campaigns for the consumption of meat from the country launched by the island corporation in the last year and a half, and influences the creation of the ‘Carnes Frescas de Tenerife’ brand, which has contributed to give confidence and security to the sector, and whose objective is to improve the identification and quality of local fresh meat products, generate awareness of the value of zero kilometer products and boost the local economy.
The Cabildo will also allocate 300,000 euros this year to eliminate fees for insemination assistance, in order to achieve an optimum number of cattle on the island at the lowest possible cost.
In addition, the Canarian Drag Association will receive 100,000 euros to feed the cowhide cattle.
