[EN] Agriculture assesses the damage caused by hail in Bajo Aragón and Cinco Villas and studies possible aid

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Government of Aragon, Arancha Simón, has toured several of the agricultural areas most affected by the latest hailstorms this week to learn on the ground the extent of the damage and assess possible aid. The round of visits has included municipalities of Bajo Aragón and the region ofCinco Villas.

Simón visited farms in Valdealgorfa, Alcañiz and Casteleres on Wednesday and completed the tour in Biota, Sádaba and Ejea de los Caballeros, as well as towns such as El Bayo, Pinsoro and Bardenas. The Minister learned about the situation of the affected farmers and the damage caused by the storm to crops and agricultural infrastructures.

During the visits, the regional head has been accompanied by municipal representatives, farmers from the affected areas, agricultural organizations and technicians from the Department togather direct information on the consequences of the storms.

REAL-EXTENT OF DAMAGE

«The first step is to be at the side of those who have suffered the damage, listen to them and learn first-hand about the situation of their farms. From there, we will continue to work with the technical services and with the sector to assess the real extent of the damage and study the best way to help those who have been affected by the storm,» said the minister.

The first assessments carried out on the ground point to damage in different agricultural areas of Aragon, with special incidence in fruit trees, almonds, olive groves, corn and other crops.

The Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Food is monitoring the situation in coordination with provincial services, regional agri-environmental offices, town councils and agricultural organisations.

EN ESTUDIO LAS POSIBLE VÍAS DE APOYO

The Minister explained that the Government of Aragon will analyse the available information and possible ways of support depending on how the assessment of damage and agricultural insurance coverage progresses. In this sense, she stressed the importance of agricultural insurance as a fundamental tool to provide stability to farms in the face of increasingly frequent adverse weather episodes.

«We know that behind each damaged plot there is a whole year’s work and, in many cases, family farms that were already coming from difficult campaigns. That is why it is important to act rigorously, collect information well and help the sector in this process,» said Simón.

The Minister also recalled the commitment of the Government of Aragon to the reinforcement of the agricultural insurance system, a line that has public support and that she considers essential to protect the income of farmers and ranchers in situations such as those recorded in recent days.

In this regard, the Department of Agriculture recalls the importance of affected farmers reporting the corresponding claims and compiling all the necessary information to facilitate the assessment of damage to their farms.

The visit to Cinco Villas has closed the round carried out this week by the Minister in some of the areas most affected by the latest episodes of hail, with the aim of maintaining a direct relationship with the territory and with professionals in the agricultural sector.