The delegate of Agriculture, Fishing, Water, and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía in Córdoba, Raquel López, stated this Friday that she shares "the concern of the wine sector of the Denomination of Origin Montilla-Moriles regarding the difficulties in finding sufficient labor to face" this year's harvest, a reality that "affects the entire Andalusian agricultural sector in a generalized way," for which she urged the central Government to promote employment policies that favor the incorporation into the agricultural labor market.
In statements to Europa Press, López indicated that she is aware that "the lack of labor is becoming an increasingly generalized problem in the field" and that in the Junta they are "aware of the difficulties our farmers are having in finding workers."
The provincial responsible has pointed out that "the lack of workers constitutes a structural problem that transcends the Andalusian scope" and recalled how the Minister of Agriculture, Ramón Fernández-Pacheco, "has defended the need to open a debate on the causes of this reality and the necessary measures to favor the incorporation into the labor market."
In this line, she emphasized that "the main competencies in labor legislation and unemployment benefits correspond to the Government of Spain," demanding "reforms that contribute to incentivizing employment and hiring." In her opinion, "a large part of this problem of lack of labor lies in employment policies, which are the responsibility of the State. These are policies that should promote more employment than unemployment. Therefore, we have requested on various occasions reforms of employment legislation that allow correcting this situation," she stated.
Likewise, she pointed out that "it is important for each administration to assume its responsibility" and emphasized that from the Junta de Andalucía they will continue "working within our competencies, but also demanding from the Government of Spain the necessary reforms so that employment policies are truly an incentive to work."
Measures to attract young people to the field
The delegate of Agriculture has explained that, within the framework of its competencies, the Junta de Andalucía "continues to promote measures aimed at improving the profitability and competitiveness of agricultural operations, with the objective of making professional development in the field more attractive and ensuring generational change."
In this context, she has highlighted that the Ministry of Agriculture maintains among its priority lines "support for the incorporation of young farmers and ranchers" and, to this end, has mobilized "130 million euros in aid aimed at facilitating access for new generations to the sector and promoting the development of their business projects."
"From the Junta --she added-- we promote the incorporation of young people and, above all, we seek the profitability of operations, so that working in the field is attractive. If we want there to be a future in our towns and for new generations to see agriculture as a professional opportunity, we must ensure that operations are profitable and that the field is an attractive activity."
Training, innovation, and talent for a competitive field
Raquel López has emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture is also "betting on training, innovation, and attracting talent as key tools to strengthen the Andalusian agri-food sector and respond to the current challenges of agricultural operations, among them the availability of qualified labor."
According to her, "we need to achieve a more competitive, modern, and profitable field, capable of generating employment and opportunities. Training, innovation, and the incorporation of young people are fundamental to guarantee the future of our agriculture," López has argued, who has reiterated that "the lack of workers requires a joint response from the different administrations and involved agents. We share the sector's concern and are by its side."
To conclude, she has assured that "the Junta will continue to do everything that is within its competencies to strengthen our field, improve the profitability of operations, and promote generational change. But we also believe that it is necessary to finally address the debate on employment policies and ensure that working is always an attractive option," she concluded.