Farmers' protest outside Palma town hall on Wednesday. | Teresa Ayuga

TW
0

The agricultural sector is demanding that Palma town hall sticks to its commitments regarding the municipal slaughterhouse.

Around one hundred farmers and livestock breeders staged a protest outside the town hall on Wednesday. A letter for the mayor was registered, it saying that if he wants to eat Majorcan "porcella" again, he will have to solve the abattoir problem. Representatives were eventually able to meet José Hila and tell him that the slaughterhouse is a public service in the same way as school transport or water treatment are.

It was noted that the slaughterhouse used to incur annual losses of around one million euros; these were covered by public funds. Seven years ago, the management model was changed, since when losses have been reduced by 70%. However, the town hall had undertook to pay the contractor a 150,000 euros grant for 2018. "This has not been fulfilled." Nor has the grant for 2019 been paid. The town hall argues that the agreement expired in 2017 and that from that moment it was not possible to pay the subsidy.

Protesters from the Asaja agricultural businesses association, the Farmers Union and the UPA small farmers and stockbreeders association maintained that if there is not a quick solution, the slaughterhouse will have to close because of unsustainable losses. This will mean the end to 85% of livestock farms in Majorca over the short term.