SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 23 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Tenerife Island Council, through its Primary Sector department, has procured 15 new vehicles for the island corporation’s Technical Service for Agriculture and Rural Development.
The Minister for Primary Sector and Animal Welfare, Valentín González, highlights in a statement that the Technical Service for Agriculture and Rural Development currently operates a fleet of 58 vehicles across 12 Agricultural Extension Agencies, 4 farms owned by the Cabildo, the Tenerife Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation Centre, the Garachico Irrigation Office, and the Central Unit in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The councillor notes that some of these vehicles are approximately twenty years old, resulting in the “subsequent wear and tear” caused by time.
“The age of the vehicles equates to a higher risk of accidents and also entails considerable annual maintenance expenses. This is why the Primary Sector and Animal Welfare department has made a substantial effort to secure budgetary resources to gradually modernise the fleet until we achieve vehicles that are safe for individuals, environmentally friendly, and that facilitate various tasks more effectively,” he emphasises.
This modernisation process commenced in July 2024 with the purchase of five Hyundai Bayons featuring self-recharging hybrid engines, and was completed in August with the acquisition of ten Fiat Panda MY24 Series 8, also equipped with self-recharging hybrid engines.
Valentín González states that “these new vehicles will enable the 15 oldest vehicles within the Technical Service for Agriculture and Rural Development to be retired, resulting in a fleet renewal of over 25%.”
He further remarked that “in the upcoming months, additional vehicles will be procured to facilitate the necessary fleet renewal, thereby enhancing worker safety and energy efficiency, as the new vehicles significantly reduce fuel consumption and consequently improve the quality of service provided to farmers in Tenerife.”
