Local authorities from Vila Flor, Mirandela, Alfândega da Fé, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Torre de Moncorvo, and Mogadouro met with João Moura to discuss key concerns.
The government official visited the area affected by fires in Vila Flor today, which spans a total of 2337 hectares, including 612 hectares of cultivated land. The local mayor, Pedro Lima, emphasized the potential to transform the calamity into an opportunity by converting the land for better use.
“We could not undertake this earlier due to the presence of protected species like cork oaks and holm oaks, which were devastated by the fire. Now, with the changed landscape, the Ministry of Agriculture could capitalize on this situation to increase agricultural lands,” he mentioned.
The Mayor argues that this approach could serve as a buffer against future fires, thereby protecting local communities. “It is evident that where traditional farming exists, with plowed fields, fires tend to be less continuous. Turning some of these lands, especially those near populated areas, into agricultural land might create a natural firebreak, enhancing community safety,” he stated.
To aid this transformation, Lima believes the government should incentivize landowners near settlements by enhancing agri-environmental subsidies. He suggested, “Instead of setting up containment zones, which demand significant resources and investments, this initiative should be led by those economically involved in agriculture.”
Concerning prevention strategies, Lima called for “more autonomy” for the local council. He expressed the desire for fewer bureaucratic impediments when managing private land clean-up, emphasizing the inefficacy of current methods when dealing with continuous stretches of brush and forests owned by individuals.
He pressed for necessary amendments: “Councils need greater autonomy and financial means to address continuous firebreak areas.”
Aside from these proposals, the Mayor of Vila Flor voiced concerns over the establishment of a measure to restore productive potential. Although referenced in the decree-law for supporting fire-impacted people, a specific measure has yet to be enacted.
Lima pressed State Secretary João Moura for support to be akin to a grant, providing a “positive signal” to those who experienced “losses,” enabling them to “find the strength” to restore their production capacities.
“The issue relates to the emotional toll of such losses for enterprises already bearing substantial investments,” he lamented, noting that producers, like those of wine, almonds, and olive oil, would face setbacks not only this year but in forthcoming years, as their trees won’t immediately regain full production potential. Thus, he advocates against penalizing them regarding subsidies.
The Vila Flor municipality has set up a farmer support office to facilitate applications for the 10,000-euro aid offered by the government, with compensation expected within ten days.
