“We have started distributing to small ruminants and bees, vetch, and oats to assist in this recovery phase,” said Pedro Lima.
The municipality will make these deliveries “weekly” to “begin treading the path of recovery” and “maintain this productive potential in livestock.”
The fire that began on August 17 and was declared contained two days later consumed over “two thousand hectares” of forest and agricultural land in the municipality of Vila Flor, notably in Vilariça, affecting “entire orchards, olive groves, and even vineyards.”
The municipality is still assessing the area impacted by the fire and will meet next Tuesday with the Secretary of State for Forests to request support for affected farmers and livestock breeders.
Among the issues to be raised with the official, the mayor seeks answers on “how our winemakers with the harvest approaching will be able to meet their obligations and production authorizations” and “how young farmers who have just completed or are in the midst of their planting projects can not only realize their projects but also receive assistance for expected lost productions,” he explained.
Pedro Lima insists on measures to ensure Vila Flor “continues to have the agricultural and economic dynamism it currently possesses.”
The government has already announced measures to assist affected producers, including support of 10,000 euros through a “simple” form submission without the need for invoicing.
The fire impacting the municipality of Mirandela, in the district of Bragança, started at 4:00 PM on August 17 in Frechas and Valverde da Gestosa but spread the following day to the municipalities of Vila Flor and Alfândega da Fé, also in the district of Bragança.
It was declared contained on August 19.
