A Thousand People Demand In Tábara An Agrarian Recovery Plan

A thousand people have demonstrated this Friday in the Zamora town of Tábara to demand that the Junta de Castilla y León take responsibility for the fires in the Sierra de la Culebra and take urgent measures so that the primary sector can move forward.

Under the motto ‘Never again. For a recovery plan for the agricultural sector, farmers and ranchers, but also residents of the region, have completed the route that joins the municipal pavilion and the Plaza Mayor, where a manifesto has been read.

The demonstration, called by Asaja and UPA-COAG, has served for the representatives of the agrarian unions to once again demand political responsibilities for the management of the fires in the Sierra de la Culebra , which have burned more than 67,000 hectares between the months of June and July.

Aurelio González and Lorenzo Rivera, from UPA and COAG respectively, have indicated that, at this point, they have not yet had contact with the Minister for the Environment, Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones, and that the meetings “have been exclusively with the delegate Clara San Damian.

The battery of measures proposed by the agrarian unions includes the guarantee of “swift and urgent compensation” for the damage suffered in the farms of farmers and ranchers; the urgent change of the Forest Law, both national and Castilla y León, so that it adapts to the current climate; or cover with compensation those affected by the increase in damage to wildlife in farms adjacent to the fires.

González, in this regard, has disfigured the administration that “for years has only been concerned that there are wild boars and deer in the mountains, also charging damage to farms” and “forgetting” the primary sector. In fact, the conveners have denounced, for the moment the Junta de Castilla y León has only attended to the requests of the self-employed from other types of businesses in the services sector, “who have the same right”, but this has not happened with the agricultural.

Recognition of the deceased
Valeriano Antón, brother of Victoriano Antón, a pastor who died during the Tábara fire, was also present at the demonstration. To him, Aurelio González has dedicated a recognition and has revealed that, four years ago now, Antón himself requested before the Junta de Castilla y León “to clean up the plots and farms , without having received a response so far “.

Among the demands of the conveners, in addition, the replacement of the hives devastated by the fire has been raised , given the importance of the beekeeping sector in the area; tax compensation for farmers and ranchers; and “profound and drastic” regulatory changes for the recovery of livestock activity in the mountains.