Simonet defends his management of the Llucmajor farm by attacking Armengol's government: "Didn't anyone see the 127,000 hens?"

Under pressure from the opposition, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment, Joan Simonet, defended his handling of the situation at the Llucmajor chicken farm and criticized the Armengol government for "failing to act." Simonet explained that between 2016 and 2021, the farm housed 127,000 hens. "Didn't anyone see them?" he asked. He recalled that the farm's operations began in 2016 with 40,000 hens, but added that in 2023, a sanctioning procedure was initiated due to the increased capacity of the operation. Avícola Son Perot, the company behind the Llucmajor poultry farm, requested the legalization of the facilities and authorization for a capacity of 135,696 hens after receiving a sanction imposed by the government's environmental agency. In August, the integrated environmental permit for the farm was rejected, and it was decided that its capacity had to be reduced to a third (40,000 hens). Regarding this, Simonet explained that a total of 36,000 animals have already been removed from the farm and that the remaining 52,000 are scheduled to be removed by the end of this month. "The work done by the officials and the Directorate General is adequate, it is correct, no mistakes have been made," he insisted.

The left questions the Government's actions

Representatives from MÉS per Mallorca, the PSIB, and Unidas Podem have questioned the Balearic Government's handling of the mining operation. PSIB deputy Marc Pons criticized the Ministry for suspending the sanctioning proceedings when the Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation. In his opinion, there is no legal or technical report to support the decision to suspend the proceedings. "It shouldn't have been halted," Pons argued, questioning whether the intention was for the activity to continue "as if nothing had happened." He added that there are no grounds for suspension because no legal proceedings have been initiated. In response to Pons, Simonet expressed his "complete calm" and emphasized that the proceedings were reactivated once the Public Prosecutor's Office concluded that no crime had been committed. For his part, Más deputy for Mallorca, Ferran Rosa, argued that the unfavorable Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) could have been processed more quickly after the approval of the Balearic Law on factory farms, since it establishes a minimum distance of two kilometers between these types of farms and population centers. "I'm surprised they're taking months to do this," he said, while also asking why a report indicating that the facility was not viable wasn't issued when the regulatory framework changed. Unides Podem deputy José María García questioned why the facility remains open, emphasizing that "it seems incredible" that this is the case. Finally, Popular Party deputy Jacobo Varela defended the Executive, stating that "it has done what was necessary, which was to apply the law with technical rigor, transparency, and a willingness to bring order where there has been neglect in the past." Chronology of inspections and sanctions

The councilor outlined the chronology of events, beginning with the complaints filed in April 2023 regarding the manure heap and the odors that led to the initiation of the first sanctioning procedure. Throughout 2024, inspections of the farms continued by the Regional Ministry and the Seprona (Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard) due to these issues. Furthermore, in September of the same year, a resolution was issued based on technical reports regarding precautionary measures for the farm. Simonet explained that at that time, the Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation following the information provided by the Regional Ministry, and the legal services of the department headed by Simonet decided to suspend the sanctioning procedure, although the precautionary measures remained in place. Months later, the Public Prosecutor's Office reported that there was no evidence of an environmental crime. In May 2025, the de-escalation plan for the 40,000 hens was approved, egg production was temporarily suspended, and the previously stalled sanctioning proceedings were restarted. The Regional Ministry considers both sanctioning proceedings to be "final." One has been partially paid by the company, and the other will be settled if the company does not file an appeal. Regarding the images of dead animals and poor conditions at the farm published in the media in May of this year, Simonet explained the actions and inspections that were carried out. The technicians determined that the conditions were "not good" in general across all the farms, but that one of the sheds presented "serious" problems. Eight sanctionable offenses were detected, and measures were taken, such as prohibiting the sale of the eggs and sealing the facilities. The sanctioning process began in June, with a potential fine of up to €200,000. The investigating court number 11 opened preliminary proceedings for the possible crime against animal welfare, and therefore, the Ministry suspended the processing of the sanctioning file. The precautionary measures are being complied with. Simonet indicated that the Government has not yet formally joined the proceedings, but that this possibility is not ruled out.