The Government opens €2 million in aid to farmers to protect crops from game animals

BarcelonaThe Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food opened grant programs this Wednesday to finance measures to protect crops from excessive game populations, such as rabbits, roe deer, and wild boar, among others. The funds can be used to install protective measures around crops, such as fencing, purchase light amplification devices for night hunting and ammunition, and contract private services for controlling game species. The regional government will allocate more than €2 million to these grants, which range up to €50,000 per beneficiary depending on the type of grant, as there are four different funding lines. According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, the first funding line subsidizes 80% of the cost of acquiring and installing permanent individual protection mechanisms or perimeter fencing for crop protection, with a maximum of €20,000 per beneficiary. The second funding line covers the acquisition of electronic amplifiers and light converters for night hunting, which, when installed on firearms, increase their effectiveness and safety. The third funding line subsidizes the purchase of 12-gauge ammunition, covering 75% of the cost for lead-free ammunition and 50% for leaded ammunition, with a maximum of €1,000 per beneficiary. This subsidy is justified by the significant expenditure on ammunition resulting from the high overpopulation of wild rabbits, especially in the Lleida plains. The fourth funding line will allow beneficiaries to contract private services to control and prevent damage caused by game species. These services are offered by professionals and companies specializing in wildlife control who hold exceptional hunting permits, as well as rural wardens with game warden certification. Eighty percent of the expenditure is subsidized, with a maximum of €50,000.

Agrarian elections

Furthermore, the Department of Agriculture has called for agricultural elections on February 27th. These elections are intended to determine the representativeness of professional agricultural organizations in Catalonia and consolidate the sector's participation in consultative and dialogue bodies with the Catalan Government. The department's Secretary General, Cristina Massot, emphasized that "these agricultural elections are the way to give a voice to the entire Catalan agricultural sector and to ensure that the decisions made have legitimate representation that accurately reflects the realities of the region." The election campaign will last fifteen calendar days: it will begin at midnight on February 11th and end at midnight on February 26th, 2026. Voting will take place on February 27th between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. at polling stations throughout the region. The electoral register will be published on January 20th and the deadline for submitting candidacies will be open between January 2nd and 12th.