14ymedio, Madrid, 22 December 2023 — It was expected that, among the results analyzed by Parliament, those of the agricultural sector would be the most regrettable. But expectations were, once again, exceeded, in particular when the collapse of livestock was known due to theft and slaughter, almost twice as much as last year and 360% higher than in 2021.
In 2022, the consequences of this practice already left very worrying figures. Throughout the Island, there were 82,445 cases of theft and slaughter, which meant 22 million fewer pounds of meat. Compared to the 33,690 head of cattle lost in 2021, the figure was already 2.5 times higher (145% more). But in a rapid acceleration, in 2023 the loss amounted to more than 155,000 animals, to which are added an indeterminate number of those who die and those not born due to “deterioration of the food base and the delay in the incorporation of the female into reproduction.”
The State, which owns almost 80% of the land, barely provides 22% of rice, 16% of food and 8% of fruits. Private individuals contribute, with less than 40% of the land, more than 70% of food, corn and beans, 40% of rice (more than the State and cooperatives) and 80% of the fruits
The report presented yesterday by Ramón Aguilar Betancourt, president of the Agri-Food Commission, did not skimp on harsh words and described the deterioration as “accelerated,” with a number of animals that “has been decreasing for years, and all the indicators present alarming results.” The official stressed that the animals spend too much time without enough food and water, and frequent irregularities are repeated: undeclared births and unregistered reports of sex and category, among others.
To top it all off, the other animal protein is also in sharp decline. Pig production is limited and with “very high prices,” while poultry is scarce, including eggs that don’t hatch and chicks that don’t grow. When the chicks do survive they must be killed, because of “the lack of food for them,” the report says.
With such data, it is not surprising that the state livestock group has one of the worst results, along with the Agricultural, Agroforestry, Gelma and Acopio. They lead the losses of the agri-food system, which has negative results of more than 2,385 million pesos.
In agriculture, as expected, there was no room for hope either. The president of the commission was very clear: “The necessary transformations that could have an effect on the food for our people and on the economic development of the country have not been achie