Antonio Luna, spokesperson for the VOX Provincial Group, and Antonio Marín, spokesperson for the VOX Municipal Group in Manilva, met on Thursday with Manilva winegrowers whose farms have been severely affected by the mildew fungus.
Luna said he was devastated by «the destruction» being caused by the mildew plague, «which has wiped out 80% of the grape harvest in the province of Málaga» and «90% in Manilva».
«The winegrowers are devastated», said Antonio Luna. «They are devastated by the situation and by the inaction and passivity of the Partido Popular government and of Juanma Moreno, which is doing nothing to help the sector«, he criticised.
Antonio Luna took the opportunity of the meeting with the farmers to announce that the VOX Provincial Group will register an initiative with the Diputación (Provincial Council) for the mildew plague to be declared a «natural disaster» and «for a line of aid to be provided to the farmers affected by this fungus».
«Farmers deserve for something to be done for them»
For his part, the spokesperson for the VOX Municipal Group in Manilva, Antonio Marín, came out in defence of the wine sector, saying that it is «history and culture».
«What has happened is a shame. In Manilva the conditions were met for such a huge disaster to occur: it is the rule of the three tens: that the shoot is longer than 10 centimetres; that over one or two days there has been more than 10 litres per square metre; and that the temperature has been above 10 degrees centigrade».
According to Antonio Marín, this has caused the mildew to take between 90 and 100% of the harvest. «It is a time to stand by the people who are going through a hard time. Everything possible must be done to help the winegrowers, so that the institutions act and do something for them».
