Óscar Ordeig accepts the challenge to calm the emotions of the first division

Òscar Ordeig (Victoria, 1978) has taken up a challenge to appease the spirits of the First Department, which has participated in the most important mobilizations in recent years. Following the protests that began in several EU countries due to the serious crisis situation they faced, Catalan farmers and ranchers also began to speak out in February, fleeing traditional agricultural organizations to form “Revolta Pagesa”. Ordeig, as spokesman of the PSC in the Agriculture Committee, has always been very critical of the management of the previous councillor, David Mascort. The first thing he did was to restore the name of the Ministry of Agriculture, thus abandoning the climate action implemented by Teresa Holda before two legislatures.

The agricultural sector has been at the forefront of large protests in the first quarter of the year, which is why Òscar Ordeig faces an important challenge at the helm of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. One of the first things the new executive, Salvador Illa, did was to restore the name of the department, which had been changed two terms ago by then-councilman Jorda. Ordeig said during the campaign that this “symbolic” change was important so that agriculture would not be “neglected” by government administration. In fact, this was one of the main claims that “Revolta Pagesa” presented to the government after several mobilizations in the spring.

Aldaig expressed support for listening more, managing better and taking steps to improve administrative simplification, that is, reducing the bureaucracy faced by the sector, in order to promote business. For Aldaig, it is necessary to adopt a reform in the operation of agricultural offices, reduce the use of paper and provide convenient facilities for farmers. The PSC defended the restoration of agricultural extension services, that is, accompanying farmers, on this point, the future councillor said more than once that public services must serve entrepreneurs, farmers or ranchers, and not be a problem.

In other areas related to agriculture, such as irrigation, Oldeig laments that Catalonia is at the bottom of the list in terms of modernization, and therefore believes that the big bet that this legislature starts now must be modernization. For the new legislators, it is not only necessary to make a leap forward on water issues, but also to improve the basic and technological infrastructure that farms must have in order to survive in an increasingly competitive world.