The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, José Luis Aguirre, presided over the closing ceremony of the General Members’ Assembly of the Valencian Poultry Association (ASAV) on 12 June 2024, held at the Valencian Community Centre for Poultry Quality and Animal Feed (CECAV) in Les Alqueries.
During his address, Aguirre highlighted the pride that the sound performance of the poultry sector represents for the Valencian Community and for Spain, holding it up as an example of hard work and adaptability. He also announced the Regional Ministry’s intention to promote a poultry training day, open to the participation of Spain’s main producing regions, with the aim of reinforcing the sector’s competitiveness and strength at a national level.
The Regional Minister also referred to the challenges facing the sector, particularly those related to new animal welfare regulations from the European Union. Aguirre acknowledged the efforts made by poultry farmers to comply with health and welfare requirements, ensuring that all holdings meet the required standards. He likewise assured that work will be done to prevent the imposition of new requirements that could be detrimental to both farmers and consumers.
In his speech, Aguirre reiterated the Regional Ministry’s support for ASAV members and announced the reinforcement of aid schemes, allocating five million euros towards the modernisation of facilities and equipment and the reduction of the environmental impact on livestock holdings, despite budgetary constraints. He also noted that support for salmonellosis control and for the improvement of holdings and their associations would be increased, through programmes focused on health and production quality and on improving farmers’ income.
The Regional Minister underlined the importance of collaboration with CECAV in order to improve the centre’s results and expand its services, maintaining its status as a national benchmark in poultry production. He also stressed the need to strengthen the sector’s productive capacity and to support measures that promote the availability of qualified personnel on farms and in slaughterhouses.
In closing, José Luis Aguirre congratulated ASAV members on their professionalism and daily dedication, which enables them to offer high-quality products to consumers. He recalled that, alongside the pig sector, the poultry sector is one of the main economic drivers of final agricultural output in the region.
