The town of tacoronte and from the surrounding municipalities responded to the call of the XXXV Livestock Fairorganized by the northern city council with the collaboration of the Association of Ranchers of Tenerife (Agate). He returned after two years without being able to celebrate due to the Covid-19 pandemic and he did not disappoint. The esplanade in front of the Farmer’s Market was filled from early morning with animals, especially cattle, some 140 heads including cows, bulls and oxen, but also goats. Part of about 35 teams, both local and from La Laguna. Tegueste and El Rosario, where most of the heads of the autochthonous coarse breed are concentrated on the Island. Many onlookers settled in the upper part, the closest to the main road, to see the exhibition. By mid-morning there were already 500 people and around 1:00 p.m., coinciding with the traditional blessing of pets, more than a thousand. The heavy rain could not even cope with the desire for tradition at times, which prevented the image of San Antonio Abad from being downloaded. A mixture of a certain desire for novelty after the coronavirus with the determined support for a primary sector that is going through “the worst crisis in history” a diagnosis in which all those present agreed.
The queue of vehicles that slowed down the passage of the bus on line 057 from Titsa presaged the presence of many people in the area. So it was. Going down to the venue allowed us to verify that tricks are not lost in traditional acts. Canarian music in the central tent, floor of a characteristic cinnamon color, and not only because of the accumulated mud or the cows in rows with corridors for the passage of adults and children. And, of course, the canteen, that corner of meetings always with a quarter of the country’s wine and the best meat at a party as lures.
Victor appears on the road. gonzalez. He comes from Tegueste and has been dedicated to cattle raising for more than twenty years. He has no professional tradition in the family “although I always saw cows at home.” He brings four bulls to the fair: two oxen for pilgrimages and other acts, and two stallions for crossing. He confirms the crisis in the sector: “In Tegueste there are only nine farmers left.” Logical because “this is not even enough for the expenses. It is my job, very sacrificed because you have to go even when you are sick, but I take it almost as a hobby ». He stressed: “A sack of millet flour has gone from 4 to 12 euros almost at once.” He explains that “these animals (more than 1,000 kilos that can mean 800 of meat use) eat what is thrown at them, we ration them for their own good but they are bottomless sacks.” He makes it clear that “I have never eaten an animal myself, although when the time comes they have to be sacrificed.” He gives the example of his son Guillermo: «He is getting his driver’s license and that is what he is going to do. The boys have no future.” He highlights: «In the pilgrimages we begin to feel frowned upon, as if we were mistreating our animals and it is quite the opposite. He has twelve bulls and a cow with which he tries to reduce spending so that it gives milk to the calves because “a sack of milk cost 45 euros a few months ago and now 80”. Example of a classic phrase and lyrics: «For the milk that the cow gives, let the calf eat it».
The route continues between the spaces enabled in the middle of the structure of tubes and drums inside which are the cows. “Do not touch them because they can get nervous” they warn. It’s difficult because the attraction they arouse among children is almost as great as they are.
irene She is one of those girls who really likes animals. Her mother Toñi, a neighbor of Tacoronte although she was born in Tejina, explains that she wants to be a veterinarian. She is cautious with her daughter because “I had them and I got scared.”
carmen vHe also lives in Tacoronte and he likes what he sees: «Very nice, they should do it more often. And announce it more. The primary sector is the most important. You have to protect it and help the producers.”
But it is not only the people of the country who are attracted by the fair. Elsa, Rainer and Julia are German, they come from Los Realejos and they love the fair.
Love and passion. Ayalita block. It is the message on the sweatshirt of a group of people who are recovering their strength together with their cattle. They are headed by José Manuel Ayala, Ayalita, from the San Roque lagoon, 49 years old and dedicated “all my life, since I was a child with my parents” to this activity. He has 42 animals and he sees it as “very bad” because “before we lived on this, but now it is impossible even though we have been dragging the problems for three years.” Her 4-year-old daughter Ivana runs around nervously because she wants to ride a pony, her most desired attraction. Her father says that she “has been used to animals since she was born and the Three Wise Men brought her a calf.” She is excited that she is a veterinarian, but she does not believe that she is dedicated to a livestock activity that “is on the way to disappearing in the short term in Tenerife.”
People take refuge in the tent because it rains hard. Also Rosa Dávila, candidate for Canarian Coalition to the Cabildo, his fellow candidate for mayor of Tacoronte, Noemi García, and the island councilor Antolín Bueno. The message: support and aid to the sector “that we need” and it is having a very bad time due to the crisis caused by the War in Ukraine and inflation. García considers this event “important” for the town and remembers: “Children must be taught that milk does not come from the fridge.”
Pedro Tomé is Agate’s secretary. He appreciates that “the people here show their knowledge and affection for this world.” He believes that the fair is “important for the entire North” and thanks the city council for the increase in his contribution.
The Santa Cecilia band, with 120 years of history and led by Paco Abreu, who has 62 years of music behind him, played the melody while the parish priest Macario López went down to the field to get muddy while blessing cattle and pets. It could not be with the image of the saint but it was worth the same. At least for Canela and Willow, two spectacular labradors waiting with their owners, Nina, Arturo and Remedios.
The mayor, Daniel Díaz, and the Councilor for Agriculture, Carmela Díaz Vilela, valued a “transcendental” fair for their town. A memory for a farmer, Nino Hernández, who died in a pandemic, and a prize for another Ricardo Peña, 44 years old, from Barranco las Lajas, with two beautiful collars for the cows whose bells rang loudly. The end was the usual in this type of encounter, this time a reunion on Sunday. Most of the people left, but the usual lovers of a quarter of wine and meat at a party remained in the canteen. Tradition in its purest form.
The high prices of feed and the lack of generational relief are the scourges
A small fence with a herd of about 40 goats stands out to the right of the enclosure set up in front of the Tacoronte Market esplanade. Urbano López, father, and his young son, of the same name, bring them from the municipality itself. In total they have 70 heads of autochthonous breeds such as the one from Tenerife del Norte or the one from La Palma. Also sheep, also of the La Palma breed, of which they show a copy. The crisis of the primary sector appears from the start of the talk with two factors: high prices and lack of generational relief. They sell cheese at their home or at the nearby market. Urbano Junior clarifies: «If I didn’t have another job it would be impossible to support myself. This is not even enough to cover expenses, we continue because we like it and it comes from three generations: grandfather, father and grandson. They explain that “the cost of feed and fodder or diesel to look for food has increased three times in a short time.” They add: «Only in food it comes to an average of one euro a day; if we have 70 goats, it’s pure math.” The sack of corn, they point out, “is at 12 euros and before this crisis at 3.50. The 70 goats eat four a day. They understand “logical” that a consumer prefers to buy a cheese in a large area at 4 euros than a better quality one, yes, but at 12″. A possible solution: “Do not give direct subsidies to the producer but to the feed factories and lower the price.” All the farmers consulted yesterday acknowledge that animals are being sacrificed to maintain others. If hard work (very early, all year without holidays…) is combined with losses, the question arises by itself: “Who will want to dedicate themselves to this?” | Jose Domingo Mendez
