ASEPALMA calls for an immediate date to agree on necessary funding and measures for the Valle de Aridane’s recovery, which could become an international reference point, an opportunity currently presented to the Minister of Territorial Policy.
The Association of Packing, Exporting, and Marketing Entities of La Palma (ASEPALMA) is urging the Canary Islands Government and the Spanish Government to set an “immediate” date for a meeting involving the relevant administrations and the agricultural sector. The goal is to specify and activate the measures necessary for the agricultural recovery of the Valle de Aridane following the volcanic eruption of 2021.
The agricultural collective recalls that, at the end of April, Minister of Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres expressed his willingness to convene a meeting “sooner rather than later” with the regional government and other involved institutions to give new momentum to the reconstruction process. However, ASEPALMA believes that with the fifth anniversary of the volcanic eruption approaching, it is time to move from statements of support to concrete decisions.
The association reiterates its demand for a date to be set for this meeting in the coming days, progressing towards what it describes as the “definitive push” to complete the agricultural reconstruction, with a clear timetable, effective funding, institutional coordination, and the capacity for execution.
Key Issues to Address
Among the key issues that, in the sector’s opinion, need to be addressed, are:
- The necessary funding to complete the recovery work.
- The renewal of the loan moratorium for the affected individuals.
- Support for affected freelancers and measures to sustain the productive fabric during the recovery period.
- Payment of pending amounts for losses and compensations.
- Recovery of access to plots.
- Streamlining permits for agricultural rehabilitation work.
- Reconstruction of irrigation networks and agricultural roads.
- Investments to improve the quality of water affected by CO₂.
ASEPALMA believes Minister Torres can play a “decisive” role in coordinating a comprehensive solution for La Palma, noting that the special commissioner for reconstruction directly reports to his ministry and is tasked with coordinating various involved state departments, such as Finance, Labour, Agriculture, and Economy.
The agricultural entity warns that every day without clarifying pending funding reduces the real chances of recovery. They argue that the support received so far, without the arrival of the committed resources and without the ability to allocate them fully to reconstruction, is insufficient to address the extent of the losses.
Risks to Recovery
The organisation further warns that allowing June to pass without a set date for the meeting and without tangible progress would mean “a complete halt” to the momentum that, they claim, agricultural reconstruction has experienced.
In ASEPALMA’s view, completing this final phase would not only restore the agricultural landscape of Valle de Aridane but also establish a model of public response to future natural disasters. This could become an international reference point on how to support affected areas and individuals following significant emergencies.
9 Million Euros in Pending Ash Compensation
Among the ongoing financial demands, the association highlights that around nine million euros, designated for aid related to ash compensation for owners and sharecroppers, remain unpaid.
Additionally, they highlight that significant amounts linked to the losses experienced by numerous affected individuals, including farmers, packers, and livestock operations, are still outstanding.
ASEPALMA points out that many farmers adversely affected by the lava flows are still awaiting evaluations and compensations for necessary expropriations and occupations for public infrastructures, such as the road constructed over the lava flows by the Cabildo of La Palma. However, they acknowledge the “economic effort made” by the island institution to facilitate recovery and urge other administrations to reinforce both the financial capacity of the Cabildo and that of the affected municipalities.
Ensuring Fair Aid Distribution
The association is calling for “equity” in the aid which has been designed since the eruption’s onset to sustain farmers who have not been able to produce for years and now wish to rebuild their farms.
These aids were set at 1.36 euros per square metre buried by lava per year, a sum that the sector explains reflects the lengthy timelines required to reinstate a farm into production. They warn that in many cases, it can take nearly three years from the start of rehabilitation work to yield the first financial return from crops.
ASEPALMA underscores that rebuilding an agricultural operation buried by lava involves a complex process, including technical studies, land movement, field preparation, access recovery, infrastructure installation, water supply, planting, and maintenance. Moreover, it usually requires around 18 months to receive the first production payment.
Therefore, they argue that without the financial backing from public administrations capable of providing support, “the recovery of the agricultural landscape, local economy, and continuity of cultivation is at risk.”
Urgent Need for Law Amendments
ASEPALMA also demands an “urgent” amendment to Law 3/2024 concerning agricultural measures for La Palma’s economic and social recovery post-Cumbre Vieja eruption, to adapt certain regulatory aspects that are impeding agricultural reconstruction.
The association warns that there are parcel owners who, due to personal, economic, family, or professional circumstances, cannot undertake the reconstruction of their farms. In such cases, there is a need to facilitate arrangements for transferring operations to descendants, relatives, young farmers, adjacent landowners, or other interested parties willing to take on this challenge.
They also assert that the production history should accompany the transferred farmland when the objective is to rebuild it. ASEPALMA considers it “fundamental” to facilitate these transfers with the necessary legal guarantees, prioritising the recovery of lost agricultural land. They argue that under the current wording of the law, some parcels could already be under reconstruction but remain stalled, delaying their production and limiting generational renewal opportunities in the sector.
Bureaucratic Obstacles to Fiscal Incentives
The association additionally expresses concern regarding administrative difficulties that, according to their claims, prevent the intended fiscal incentives from translating into actual reinvestments in the affected areas.
Among the major obstacles they cite are the lack of authorisations, accessibility issues, legal uncertainty, and delays in necessary regulatory modifications for action on the farms.
Positive Appraisal of the Canary Islands Government
ASEPALMA provides a positive assessment of the work undertaken by the Canary Islands Government, believing it was key for the Mixed Commission held in October 2025 to serve as “a real catalyst” for many farmers affected by the lava flows. That meeting “helped regain the sector’s confidence and demonstrated that when there is coordination between administrations, reconstruction progresses.”
They also highlight the efforts made with European institutions by the Minister of Agriculture, Narvay Quintero; the Deputy Minister of the Primary Sector, Eduardo García; and the Deputy Minister for Economic and Social Recovery of La Palma, Pedro Ángel Afonso, to facilitate measures deemed strategic for agricultural recovery.
ASEPALMA further recalls the meetings held with the Ministry of Agriculture to convey the situation of the La Palma agricultural sector and request support to maintain activity while the reconstruction process concludes.
224 Million Euros Needed to Complete the Process
Since late February, the estimated cost to finalise the agricultural reconstruction of Valle de Aridane has been set at 224 million euros, following collaborative efforts between ASEPALMA and the involved administrations.
Those meetings included representatives from the Canary Islands Government, such as Nieves Lady Barreto, Narvay Quintero, and Juan Ramón Rodríguez; the president of the Cabildo of La Palma, Sergio Rodríguez; and island councillor Alberto Paz, as well as the mayors of the affected municipalities.
Subsequently, in mid-April, ASEPALMA presented in the Parliament of the Canary Islands to request a “final push” of just over 223 million euros to complete agricultural recovery.
The association emphasises that of the 239 hectares of banana plantations affected by the eruption, a significant portion is already reconstructed or under development, and many plots have regained access. This, in their view, demonstrates that there is a genuine basis to complete the process if the necessary funds, infrastructure, and coordination mechanisms are in place.
Gratitude and Hope
ASEPALMA expresses gratitude for the unanimous support shown by the political parties represented in the Parliament of the Canary Islands following their presentation, as well as the willingness displayed in the meetings held thus far by the Canary Islands Government, the Cabildo of La Palma, the reconstruction commissioner, Héctor Izquierdo, and Minister Ángel Víctor Torres.
The association also extends its appreciation to the La Palma, Canary Islands, and Spanish society for the support shown since the onset of the volcanic eruption, recalling the solidarity mobilisations in favour of the affected.
Despite the difficulties and uncertainties that still exist, ASEPALMA maintains a message of optimism and resilience. “To live in the Canary Islands, a land of volcanoes, one must always know how to look forward,” concludes the association.
