Plátano de Canarias producers on the island of La Palma have recently received a first advance of 13.5 million Euro to compensate them for the production losses on farms affected by the volcano eruption.
"This first advance payment will be very welcome for the nearly 3,000 banana producers who will receive it in the island of La Palma," says Domingo Martín, president of ASPROCAN.
The regional Council of Agriculture has determined that the farms buried by the lava will receive 100% of the established provision, while the farms affected by ash and those with no access to irrigation in the municipalities of Los Llanos de Aridane, Tazacorte and El Paso will receive 32% and those of Tijarafe and Fuencaliente 11%.
The amounts have been calculated on the basis of the average yield of the area and the average selling prices. The total number of beneficiaries amounts to 2,947 applicants, all members of organizations of banana producers in the Canary Islands.
The sector is working with the Government of the Canary Islands to implement a second payment for those of the island's producers who, due to any administrative circumstances, may have been left pending after this first advance.
The sector is very much awaiting a line of aid that has yet to be specified and which is also necessary for the maintenance of employment and the island's productive activity. The ash from the volcano has caused high production cost overruns, which has led to an inevitable loss of income for producer organizations on the island of La Palma. Faced with this situation, the sector continues to work to prevent unemployment in the area and to continue supplying the market, as recovering the activity would be much costlier and difficult at a later stage. ASPROCAN is working with the Council of Agriculture and the Council of Economy of the Government of the Canary Islands, which are aware of the situation and the urgency of this measure.
For more information:
ASPROCAN
Tel.: +34 922 535 142
[email protected]
www.platanodecanarias.es