This Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved the first call for aid for the renaturalization of agricultural lands around Doñana for a value of 28.5 million euros and which will make it possible to eliminate up to 400 hectares of irregular irrigation. These were included in the pact signed in November 2023 by the Government and the Junta of Andalusia to guarantee the reconversion of crops and economic activity in the area and – and supported by Vox – to expand irrigation next to the National Park.
The aid contemplates a maximum of 70,000 euros per hectare, distributed in 10 annual payments of up to 7,000 euros per hectare and year, in exchange for farmers abandoning their crops. In the case of land of less than one hectare, the contribution will be proportional. Sources from the Ministry of Ecological Transition specify that this order authorizes the expenditure of 28.5 million for the reconversion of a maximum of 400 hectares, which will be expanded in future calls. This warning is intended to reassure the irrigation expansion agency, which had requested that the 1,200 hectares identified in the Plan for the Northern Crown of Doñana, which is the regulatory instrument of the Board, be included in a single call.
The beneficiaries of this aid are all farmers and entities that have rights to the land or manage agricultural holdings, as well as. Recipients must commit to complying with legal requirements, maintain the renaturalization conditions for the next 30 years and allow monitoring of the actions. The aid, compatible with other public or private subsidies, will be used to finance projects aimed at ecological recovery, afforestation and the maintenance of forest uses.
This aid package, which is integrated into the two Action Frameworks for Doñana designed by Miteco, with a total investment of 706 million, must be complemented with the aid that both the Junta de Andalucía and the Huelva Provincial Council committed to provide within the November 2023 pact. Specifically, the Moreno Government agreed to add 20,000 euros for each hectare and the supramunicipal entity others. 10,000. Thus,
These 28.5 million are added to Miteco in recent months to safeguard the overexploited aquifer of the natural environment, and make the region less dependent on the economy rooted around the preserve, especially red fruit crops. For this purpose, amounts of 11.5 million have been released for the agricultural and forestry improvement of the area or enclave that can promote this economic diversification.
