Joan Simonet: "I don't believe in the systematic banning of license plates and chalets."

PalmHe knows firsthand the harshness of the primary sector in the Balearic Islands. Before becoming the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment, Joan Simonet (Alaró, 1973) was on the other side of the table as manager of the employers' association Asaja. He sets the guidelines for a minority sector that is increasingly facing diminishing opportunities and problems.

If we listen to the farmers working in the primary sector in the Balearic Islands, at best, they can only scrape by in the fields. Is this true?

— I don't think so. But I must also say that there are years when things do get by. Agriculture in the Balearic Islands is extremely diverse. This is an advantage, but sometimes it can be a disadvantage. We have large dryland cereal farms, small horticultural farms, mixed farms, in the Serra, in Campos, in Menorca, etc. Within each of these subsectors, there is variability. There are farms that, at given times, do have adequate profitability, and others that, due to their structure, are less successful and have lower incomes. Sectors that can irrigate with treated or white water have greater production security, but they also face price issues. Therefore, the entire issue related to local produce must be developed.

Everyone raves about local products, but we continue to import the majority of our shopping basket. Can this situation be reversed? How? The current tourism law requires the hotel sector in the Canary Islands to purchase at least 3% zero-mile products. Is this enforced? Do you maintain contact with the hotel companies?

— There are some very bad things that need to be reversed. There are a million people in the Balearic Islands, and feeding them with what's produced here is practically impossible because we don't have enough land, water, or resources to do so. The important thing is that products made here are consumed at a reasonable price so that producers don't have to fight over prices. This is where we must work to ensure that people consume local products, pay what they're worth, and that this money ends up in the pockets of farmers, with the goal of improving the economic conditions of farms. But it's important that the sector fulfills certain commitments and also that it can sell a certain volume of products. It must organize itself to be able to offer these services. I know that the Consell de Mallorca (Mallorca Council) conducts inspection campaigns to ensure this is being fulfilled. I maintain relationships with hoteliers because we all know each other in Mallorca.

To increase production in the primary sector, land is needed, and more and more of the land is being used for chalets and solar panels, so it seems difficult to recover farmers and hectares of land. What do you think? Does the new agrarian law address this problem or does it establish the use of the countryside as a recreational area?

— These are business models. Some people buy a chalet on the seashore; others, a boat, and still others, a farm in the city. It's their money. We can't say there should be only one model of farming, because otherwise it would be a dictatorship. Every farmer must be given the freedom to choose the model they want to follow. Furthermore, the land covered by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has practically stabilized over the last ten years. However, a way must be found to make residential use and the installation of solar panels compatible with land maintenance. The agricultural law will not prohibit chalets because that is not its purpose. This legislation will give farmers tools to maximize their income and also to develop their agricultural activities, such as improving productive capacity, facilitating bureaucratic procedures, facilitating access to water, and promoting direct sales, among others. The legislation will also encourage the production of solar energy on farms so that every farmer can create them.

Has the time come to make rural land unbuildable if we want it to be productive and to deploy solar panels to industrial or degraded areas? As a technician, you've written many reports on agricultural compensation for solar farms, don't you think this has gotten out of hand?

— There's a lot of talk about solar panels, but I know a lot about large parks that have failed and will never be built. I think systematically banning solar panels and villas isn't appropriate. I don't believe in systematic bans on everything. There are areas where they should be banned, others where they should be regulated, and some areas where they could be allowed to develop, depending on each individual's values. I don't think we've gone too far because many of the solar parks I signed for haven't been built. Furthermore, there were farmers of all stripes who were happy to receive agricultural compensation because they planted 10 hectares of almond trees on their homes.

In 2024, 70% of professional farmers who applied for subsidies for investments in their farms were left without the right to receive them. Seven companies alone received 35% of the total aid. How do you justify this? Farmers are concerned because the main beneficiaries of the aid belong to a company of which you were the manager.

— The number of applications awarded will be the same as in previous calls for applications. It's a matter of points established in the previous term; it's not that large farmers will be given priority over small farmers. It doesn't depend on the size of the farmer, but on the size of the investment. At the end of the year, we must launch another line of subsidies. We will sit down with the sector and change the order of points if they want to change it. I don't care, but the same thing will happen. We must prioritize professional farmers and young people. The money that comes from Europe comes with these conditions, and we don't have a money-making machine.

The primary sector is concerned about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) cuts proposed by the European Commission for the period between 2028 and 2034. If they are implemented and the Balearic Islands receive approximately €15 million less per year, what will be the impact? Which areas will be most affected? What have the European commissioners responded to?

— It's a bad idea because direct aid is being discussed. There are two problems with the new PEC. One is the amount of money, which is serious and worrying. But it has a possible solution. The real challenge is the structure of the subsidies. This money was previously only for agriculture, and the primary sector had a lot of influence. However, now it won't only be for agriculture and fisheries, but will also be allocated to European structural funds. Cohesion and social funds will be included, among others that have nothing to do with agriculture. This is the great risk that exists. As all this becomes clearer, we will have to negotiate the money that will reach the Islands. I met personally with the Commissioner for Fisheries and there was a good rapport. When we talk about Europe, we don't just have to talk about money but also about regulations. We often focus on agriculture in aid, but there are also other issues such as bureaucratization or the insularity factor, among others.

Farmers are complaining that the Tramuntana mountain range is filled with plant fuel carried by Storm Juliette in 2023. Until recently, the Balearic Islands were on fire alert level four. Are you concerned about this situation when debris from Juliette still remains in the mountains? What cleanup measures have been taken?

— I'm not so worried. All the Juliette grants have been paid to individuals. Ibanat acted in specific priority areas, but there are places that will never be accessible. That's why, in addition to the Juliette grants, which are practically gone, we've launched a line of grants for individuals for forest fire prevention. It's been five years since we've launched these grants, and we launched this line for €3.5 million. With this amount, approximately 300 hectares have been cleared. I'm more concerned about the continued lack of management, especially in the pine forests, because that's where the most serious problem lies. That's why we must continue to launch this line of grants every year, and Ibanat must be equipped with services.

What specific measures do you intend to implement to mitigate the effects of climate change in the Balearic Islands?

— Combating this phenomenon is complicated, but we focus on adaptation. Irrigating with purified water, fighting fires, promoting extensive livestock farming, and supporting organic farming, among others, are some of the methods we can apply to combat the effects of climate change.