PALMA
SOME 35 percent of the cereal crop on Majorca was lost this year, according to the Farmers Association Asaja yesterday.
But this situation, according to the association, was not taken into account by the Balearic Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries when starting their annual campaign of subsidies for the purchase of certified cereal seed and weed killer.
The cereal harvest on Majorca was seriously affected by various bouts of bad weather.
This has also had a negative effect on the quality of the cereal harvested, meaning that a good part of the harvest could not be used as seed for the next season's crop.
Because of this situation, the President of Asaja on the Balearics, Biel Company, has asked, via a letter to the Balearic Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Merce Amer, for a meeting as soon as possible.
The objective of the meeting is to confirm the possibility of adapting the rules so that the subsidy will extend to a greater quantity of cereal seed in order to offset the possible lack of good quality seed for the next season's crop. The aim is that the seed will be available to farmers during the month of October.