The vice president of the Albacete Provincial Council and CEO of the Provincial Agricultural Technical Institute, Amparo Torres, has inaugurated, in La Roda, together with the mayor of the town (and provincial vice president), Juanra Amores; the provincial delegate for Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, Ramón Saéz; and the director of Banca Rural Globalcaja de Albacete, Rafael Mendoza, a new conference promoted by the ITAP, with the collaboration of the regional government and the bank.
The Assembly Hall of the San Sebastián Cultural Center has hosted this event in which nearly a hundred farmers from the region have participated, and in which they have been addressed, by professionals from the JCCM Institute itself, issues such as fertilization management, plant health and eco-regimes for woody crops, in line with the work being carried out by the ITAP “fully committed to the advisory, support and assistance service for the agricultural and agri-food sector of the province and region”, as Torres explained, noting that this work of technology and knowledge transfer is the reason for the Institute’s existence, “and with it we contribute to favoring the competitiveness, profitability and sustainability of our field” .
In a broader calendar of conferences that will extend to different towns in the province, “bringing closer to each territory the services offered by the ITAP”, Torres thanked the technical support that the JCCM, through its Delegation of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development of Albacete, lends itself to these meetings “with which we contribute to the best decision-making in agricultural holdings, providing information and training to its professionals”, and has stressed the importance of collaboration between administrations and of these with the private sector, extending this gratitude to Globalcaja.
In fact, the provincial manager explained that “the objective of these actions is to advance in the professionalization of farms, making them increasingly profitable and generating roots in our municipalities, favoring employment and fixing population”, adding that the The agricultural sector has a determining role when it comes to tackling the demographic challenge, which has become an engine of development in the rural world.
In addition, he affirmed, claiming the great work that the Government of Spain has done in Europe “fighting for every aid for our field”, and alluding to the eco-regimes introduced in the new Common Agricultural Policy (ecological practices that came into force on 1 January of this year), that the agricultural sector must advance in the adaptation of farms in a context such as the current climate emergency, but has made it clear that “environmental sustainability must go hand in hand with the profitability of farms: we must find a balance”, at the same time that he has assured that “we must optimize each euro that comes from the European Union so that it stays in our territory, fixes population and favors wealth in our farms”.
In this sense, Torres has not hesitated to point out that to move in this direction the incorporation of women and young people is essential: “We have to guarantee the continuity of the exploitations and the generational change”.
Finally, the provincial manager has highlighted the importance that the work carried out in the ITAP has for the agricultural and agri-food sector, alluding to the great work carried out by its professionals, and recalling that this 2023, this Institute participates in a dozen of regional, national and international projects, and has pointed out the importance that it has for the Provincial Council, as evidenced in the recently approved Provincial Budgets, which include a budget for this institute of €1,655,000
