The main organizations and entities in the table grape and loquat sector in the Valencian Community —La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera, Asaja Alicante, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias, the Federation of Exporters (Fexphal), the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Uva de Mesa Embolsada del Vinalopó, and the PDO Níspero de Callosa d'en Sarrià— have requested the Ministry of Agriculture to promote before the central Government "a structural and permanent reduction of the net yield indices of Personal Income Tax applicable to both crops within the module system".
The proposal, included in a joint document addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Barrachina, suggests fixing the net yield index at 0.2 for table grapes and loquats, instead of the current coefficients of 0.32 and 0.37, respectively.
Likewise, the signatory organizations request that, in the specific case of Uva de Mesa Embolsada del Vinalopó, a reduced index of 0.16 be established, arguing that this crop incurs higher production costs and greater management demands, as pointed out by La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera in a statement.
In this context, the sector maintains that the current tax modules "do not" reflect "the economic reality" of crops defined by "their high artisanal component, strong dependence on labor, and the constant increase in production costs".
Among the elements that have diminished profitability, according to the organization, are "the increase in labor costs after minimum wage hikes, the rising cost of inputs such as energy, fertilizers, phytosanitary products, and water," and "the demanding cultivation and handling tasks required by both productions."
In relation to table grapes, the organizations recall that various studies, including one from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), show that "the current tax index does not align with the real profitability of the crop."
As a consequence, the sector warns that maintaining the current module causes "a comparative grievance" and "compromises the viability of numerous family farms."
In parallel, the loquat crop, concentrated mainly in the Marina Baixa region, occupies more than a thousand hectares and represents "the livelihood of around 1,200 farmers" in towns such as Callosa d'en Sarrià, Altea, Bolulla, Polop, and La Nucía (Alicante).
The entities emphasize that it is "a highly labor-intensive activity, with very high costs derived from tasks such as manual thinning, harvesting, and packaging, directly assumed by the producers".
Furthermore, they point out that, while in the case of citrus fruits the taxable base is calculated on 26 percent of the value of the fruit on the tree, in the loquat the farmer bears "entirely" both manual harvesting and conditioning-packaging, with an average cost exceeding "8,700 euros per hectare".
"Serious consequences" for the territory
Finally, the organizations warn that "the continued loss of profitability" can lead to "the progressive abandonment of these crops, with serious economic, social, and territorial consequences for the producing areas".
For this reason, they advocate for "the need to establish a stable fiscal framework adapted to the productive reality, which provides predictability and contributes to guaranteeing the future of the sector".