Valencian Community agriculture faces aging crisis, urges youth renewal

A study by the Valencian Farmers Association (AVA‑ASAJA) using the Ministry of Agriculture’s 2025 report shows the Valencian Community and the Canary Islands have the highest share of farmers over 65 – 48.07 % and 48.4 % respectively – well above the Spanish average of 39.56 %. Young farmers under 40 account for only 5.8 % of direct PAC aid recipients in the Valencian Community, three points below the national 8.83 % level.

AVA‑ASAJA president Cristóbal Aguado warned that “the Valencian agriculture is the red lantern of Spain and Europe”, citing low profitability, fragmented land holdings, perceived discrimination in the Common Agricultural Policy and unfair competition from third‑country imports as drivers of field abandonment and rural depopulation. The association calls for structural measures, EU‑funded programmes and regional support to recover an estimated 180,000 ha of abandoned land and to attract a new generation of farmers.