Intergenerational The relay and improvement of rural life will be part of the Department of Agriculture's the axes of the budget

The budgets of the Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries for 2027 focus on generational relay in the primary sector, maintaining activity, entrepreneurship and improving the quality of life in rural areas.

Counsellor Amaia Barredo has presented to the committee of the Basque Parliament the main items of her department next year, which will manage EUR 273 million , 2.1% morethan in 2026.

In any case, the Councillor has stressed that this is a "living" budget because his department can obtain European funding throughout the year, as well as funds from other Autonomous Communities when they are not implemented.

As he explained, the accounts aim to "strengthen the entire Basque food chain "and keep the rural environment alive, and will invest 28 million to implement services already present in larger urban areas.

In this regard, the Berosi programme, in addition to installing ATMs in small towns, will have a new line of EUR 200 000 to bring food and telecommunications services closer to rural areas, which will allow, for example, teleworking from small towns.

In total, rural development grants and investments will amount to EUR 28.61 million, Barredo said.

In addition, in 2027, 60 million aid will be mobilised to support the primary sector, 1.5 million to support generational relay and support for entrepreneurship and advisory services to strengthen the profitability of farms, EUR 3.7 million.

Aid from the Basque food industry will have more than EUR 37 million to support business investment. In this area, innovation will have EUR 15.7 million, including funding for Ikertalent scholarships and new scholarships for the wine sector to integrate talent and innovation into the food chain.

4 million for wine campus

The budget of the Food Quality and Promotion Authority has been increased by 33.7% (through funding from European funds) and will have almost EUR 18 million to support the sector.

Of this amount, 4 million will be earmarked for the EDA Drinks & Wine Campus, which this year will complete the works of the Laguardia and Vitoria-Gasteiz headquarters to launch the training activity in October.

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority will have EUR 29 million to modernise the fleet and the fishing industry, provide the sector with leading services, promote knowledge and promote generational relay.

10.4 million have been set aside to improve the competitiveness of fishing, commercial and processing structures, including 4.5 million for the Ondarroa and Bermeo ice factories .

In addition, the Community Fisheries Data Collection Programme will have EUR 3 million, an initiative that provides scientific information to manage marine resources and defend the interests of the Basque fleet in Europe, the counsellor stressed.

The Ports, Maritime and Coastal Affairs Authority will manage $32.22 million, 22% more than this year, and will allocate $15.4 million to port investments and $4.5 million to fisheries.

Mutriku's shelter dam will be strengthened and, with the renovation and expansion of the Elantxobe pier, EUR 9.52 million will be allocated to these tasks.

In addition, 3.36 million will be spent on the lifting and paving of the Ondarroa Pier and repairing the central San Sebastián Pier; 2.1 million on dredging the Zumaia and Deba Rims; and 1.5 million on the reorganisation of the Artza area and the reform of the EKP Bermeo Captain.