The Spanish government and the regional government of Andalusia have created a joint working group to look for “immediate” solutions to the problems caused by the recent storms that hit the region, destroying crops and facilities.
Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and José Antonio Griñán, president of the region of Andalusia, will stage the first official meeting of the working group today (9 March) in Madrid to address the “exceptional” situation that has affected Andalusia over recent months.
Mr Rodríguez Zapatero said the aim of the initiative was to “take joint action of a permanent form” and through the working group, to analyse the damage to Andalusia’s agriculture and infrastructure, and determine a means of helping those affected.
The Spanish government , he said, was “conscious of the seriousness” of the situation and would begin work “immediately and with the highest level of commitment” to alleviate the damages caused by the storms.
According to the Andalusian province of Huelva’s strawberry producer association Freshuelva, damages caused by the storms, which hit the region during December 2009 and January this year, has been estimated at €150m - substantially higher than the estimate of €75m given by the regional government of Andalusia.
Freshuelva told regional daily Diario de Sevilla that losses had totalled around 100m tonnes of strawberries and 50m tonnes of raspberries, with growers in the zones of Moguer, Palos de la Frontera and Lucena del Puerto particularly badly affected.
National agricultural association Coag said that some 3,000ha of citrus production - with an estimated value of between €12m-€17m - had also been devastated by the storms.
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