The president of the Association of Farmers and ranchers of the Canary Islands (Asaga Canarias Asaja), Ángela Delgadorequests the support of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islands, Alicia Vanoostende, to maintain the winemaking activity that has been carried out in the Malpaís de Rasca for 15 years. Is about exclude agricultural land from the expansion of this protected space because it would affect 91 hectares.
Delgado moved to vanoostend the request during a visit to the farm 24 hectares of vineyards (10% of the Abona Denomination of Origin) and other crops, carried out within the framework of the round of meetings initiated by Asaga with the parliamentarians to show their concern for the future of this rustic land for agricultural protection. The team of the Ministry of Agriculture He took a guided tour with the owners of the farm, which includes a visitable winery, farmer’s houses, warehouses for agricultural materials and machinery, irrigation rooms, hydrants and water tanks.
other productions
In the area affected by the expansion of Malpaís de Rasca there is also a 15-hectare farm under a greenhouse, which cultivates banana trees and another three hectares of avocado. In execution there are 18 hectares of vegetables, which are intended to be transition crops towards vineyard plantations. The good results encourage an increase in the vineyard area by eight hectares, which would largely solve the problem of grape scarcity that affects island wineries, would help to diversify the economy and would make it possible to counteract the abandonment of vineyards in the Canary Islands.
The developed agricultural project is perfectly structured to achieve a relevant wine tourism activity with the vision of integrating the environmental values of the adjoining reserve with the agronomic ones. and revalue agriculture thanks to the tourist vocation of the municipalities of Arona and adeje. The owners underline the abandonment suffered by the Malpaís de Rasca and the need to stop vandalism in crops both inside and outside the Reserve.
This agrarian entity has started a round of meetings with the parliamentary groups
For the president of Asaga Canarias Asaja, “we trust that the Government of the Canary Islands will exclude agricultural activity from the limitations that will be imposed on land use once the reserve is expanded and from the consequent economic and job loss. We are not against the expansion, but we are against the fact that the new regulations prevent the normal development of viticulture in this area, which has been booming for 15 years.. We will fight until the end so that this does not happen.
Likewise, it regrets that “this proposal has been presented as a matter of urgency without having previously consulted with the sector”. Ángela Delgado hopes to be able to meet in the next few days with the rest of the parliamentary groups and invite them to visit the Malpaís de Rasca in search of a change of position.
