The Mancomunidad of Municipalities of the Eastern Costa del Sol-Axarquía has approved an institutional motion to demand compensatory measures from the Government, the Junta, and the Diputación. The high summer temperatures have reduced the production of muscatel by up to 70% in some plots.
The Mancomunidad of Municipalities of the Eastern Costa del Sol-Axarquía has approved an institutional motion demanding urgent measures from the central Government, the Junta de Andalucía, and the Diputación de Málaga to compensate the losses of the winemakers in the region, as reported by Diario Sur. The agreement, supported by all groups represented in the supramunicipal institution, responds to a campaign marked by high temperatures and successive heatwaves over the summer, which have damaged the fruit at a particularly sensitive stage of its development.
The motion estimates losses of up to 70% in some farms. Concern is focused on the small family farms in the interior of the region, where the reduction of a single annual harvest can compromise a significant part of the year's income.
The approved text proposes a range of measures that include direct aid, tax reductions, and other economic or administrative compensations to maintain the viability of the farms. Specifically, the Junta de Andalucía is asked for an extraordinary and urgent line of aid for the Axarquía vineyard, as well as possible tax exemptions within its competencies. The agreement emphasizes that these measures must reach the affected producers directly.
Requests directed at the central Government include a tax reduction for Income 2026, exceptional aid per hectare, and the elimination of the minimum working days required to access the subsidy and agricultural income. The motion references the reductions applied in the agricultural IRPF of 2023, when the Treasury lowered the net yield indices for activities affected by exceptional circumstances such as drought; in Málaga, the passification grape was left with an index of 0.06.
The Diputación de Málaga is being asked for financial aid or other support measures, while all three administrations are requested to provide funding to modernize the farms. Among the planned actions is the automation of the drying facilities, one of the most labour-intensive tasks within the artisanal production of raisins.
The evolution of the campaign has changed since July. At the end of that month, the Regulatory Council for the Málaga, Sierras de Málaga, and Pasas de Málaga denominations pointed to a provincial harvest of around 2.6 million kilos, favoured by the rains and the initial good health status. In August, ASAJA began to warn of losses around 40% in areas of Axarquía, and subsequently several mayors raised the impact to 60% and 70% in specific plots.
The latest data from the Regulatory Council shows an uneven impact. The provincial estimate remains around 2.6 million kilos, mainly due to the performance of the northern area, while in Axarquía the losses are around 50% in Almáchar, 40% in El Borge, and 30% in Iznate, with lower percentages in Cómpeta and Sayalonga. These figures do not contradict the existence of plots with greater damage, but they prevent the 70% from being applied to the overall regional production.
The Mancomunidad links the survival of these farms with the preservation of an internationally recognized agricultural system. The FAO includes the production system of Málaga raisins in Axarquía within its Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), highlighting the artisanal nature of the cultivation, harvesting, and drying in a territory of steep slopes and limited agricultural alternatives.
The last session of the General Board also served to formalize changes in the political representation of the institution. The councillor from Algarrobo, María Victoria Segovia, took office as a member replacing Natacha Rivas, who left the Mayor's office to assume the General Directorate of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Blue Economy of the Junta. Meanwhile, the councillor from Rincón de la Victoria, Pepi Carnero, assumed the spokesperson role for the PP and called for "unity, dialogue" and agreements among the municipalities.
“Particular issues or political differences that may exist in the municipalities should not be transferred or affect the functioning of the Mancomunidad”
The motion will now be sent to the three administrations for them to study the requested measures. The affected winemakers will have to wait for the institutions' response to know if the requested direct aid and tax reductions will be implemented.
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