The Basque Government and representatives of the farmers will meet again this Tuesday to review the ways of purchasing and distributing supplies intended for the farms affected by the drought, in a meeting that comes after the recent protests called by agricultural organizations.
The meeting will take place starting at four in the afternoon at the central headquarters of the Basque Government, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, according to sources from UAGA who have informed Europa Press.
During the meeting, options for the acquisition and distribution of products aimed at the farms harmed by the lack of rainfall will be studied again.
On the part of the Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries, the counselor, Amaia Barredo, ruled out this past Saturday, in an interview with Diario Vasco, the joint purchase of forage, considering that "it is not necessary" because there is already "sufficient forage for the coming months."
Barredo also indicated that a letter has been sent to 4,000 farms informing them of volumes and prices for the supply of animal feed in the current context.
On the side of the agricultural organizations, UAGA, Enba, and EHNE have warned in recent weeks that "while the livestock in our mountains is enduring a historic drought, the Department of Agriculture does not seem to find it necessary to expedite the adoption of measures."
These organizations, along with the Treviño and Álava for the Field Association (Ataca), which organized a tractor protest in Vitoria-Gasteiz last week, demand that Euskadi be declared a drought zone; that the situation of water resources be monitored; that an inter-institutional table be set up to guarantee the supply of water to the most affected areas; and that legal mechanisms be agreed upon with the provincial councils that allow feeding livestock in communal mountains.
In addition to these requests, in the case of UAGA, a demand was made on August 21 for the resignation of the Food counselor due to her "irresponsibility, ignorance, and total lack of listening."