SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 24 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries for the Canary Islands Government, Narvay Quintero, has this Tuesday attributed the dismissal of the Director General of Agriculture, Javier Gutiérrez Taño, to a “restructuring” of the Executive and has distanced it from the existing “tensions” among banana producers.
In response to an inquiry from the Socialist Group during the parliamentary control session, he remarked that “all governments dismiss and appoint for various reasons,” citing that during the previous legislative term, the Ministry of Health experienced nine changes in positions accompanied by three different counsellors.
He announced that a successor would be appointed “very shortly,” although he clarified that this dismissal would not alter the “direction” of the Ministry, which aims to achieve “consensus” with the primary sector and political factions.
He commended the “steadfast” support given to a PNL in July, which set out the ‘roadmap’ for enhancing the banana sub-sector and has led to a decree that has already been published and is currently in the objection phase.
Manuel Fumero (PSOE) expressed his “appreciation” for the efforts of the former general director and jokingly queried whether he should direct the question to the Minister of the Presidency, Lady Barreto, whom some agricultural organisations hold responsible for the dismissal.
He voiced his “concern” regarding this dismissal in light of the “very fragile moment” currently faced by the primary sector in the archipelago and cautioned Quintero that the PSOE would not back the Executive should the sector become “politicised” or if anyone sought to ascend a level in Usos Múltiples II.
He emphasised that this “is not the approach to take,” warning that if there is “a conflict on a particular island, the primary sector will suffer greatly.”
