The Valencian Association of Farmers (AVA-ASAJA) has said that some people are taking advantage of their walks through the Huerta de Valencia, due to the de-escalation of the Covid-19, to go onto the fields and commit both theft and damage to the crops, as a result of which they are demanding a greater police presence in these rural areas.
The Association spokesman also called for the public to be in avoiding any increase in damage to the fields “that a minority is causing on seasonal crops, mainly onions, pumpkins and potatoes, a circumstance that” aggravates the difficult situation that thousands of farmers are going through.”
The organisation warns of small thefts, especially in the rows closest to the roads, and of footprints and damage by both people and animals that force farmers to undertake additional repair work.
The president of AVA-ASAJA, Cristóbal Aguado, said that “the fields are private property that we all must respect”. “Even more so during the Covid-19 crisis, which has once again highlighted the essential importance of agriculture and the need to guarantee both a decent return and social recognition for farmers,” he said.
