The newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Affairs and Environmental Policy, Joaquín Antonio Pino, has begun his tenure at the head of the department with a first meeting with representatives of the professional agricultural organizations (OPAs) of Castilla y León. In this meeting, he conveyed a message of cooperation and understanding "from minute one" and reiterated his commitment to promoting "effective solutions" to the complicated situation facing cereals, marked by very high production costs and falling prices at origin.
During the meeting, Joaquín Antonio Pino announced that in the coming days he will extend this climate of dialogue to other agents of the agri-food sector of Castilla y León, including cooperatives and the agri-food industry, with the aim of jointly addressing the main challenges of rural areas.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Affairs and Environmental Policy, in this first contact with the OPAs, the general situation of the countryside in Castilla y León was reviewed, with explicit recognition of "the critical situation" facing the cereal sector. Likewise, the progress of the main animal diseases was analyzed, paying special attention to the evolution of African swine fever and Contagious Nodular Dermatosis.
During the meeting, Pino also presented the new environmental responsibilities that his department will assume. In this regard, the representatives of the OPAS demanded that these powers be "broad enough to solve the problems affecting farms and be endowed with a budget," emphasizing the need for effective instruments with economic backing.
The parties also took advantage of the meeting to review the current state of the negotiation of the Common Agricultural Policy and the joint position of Castilla y León, so that "the new CAP opts for a model of professional agriculture, predominant in Castilla y León," aligned with the productive structure of the Community.
In this context, Pino wanted to highlight the fundamental work carried out by the technical services of the Professional Agricultural Organizations throughout the autonomous territory, as they allow for the handling of the multiple administrative procedures that farmers and ranchers must face daily.
Finally, the spokespersons of the OPAs have conveyed to Pino their congratulations and satisfaction for his appointment at the head of the Ministry and have expressed their "total predisposition to collaborate to improve the quality of life of the farmers and ranchers of the Community", emphasizing their willingness to maintain a fluid relationship with the regional Administration.