Valencian agriculture sector challenges

In July 2026, data from the Union of Farmers and Livestock Keepers showed that reported farm thefts in the Valencian Community fell by about 30% in 2025, dropping from 1,333 incidents in 2024 to 938. Despite the drop, the clearance rate worsened, with only 22% of cases solved, prompting calls for more rural police units and better coordination.

A few weeks later, a study by the Valencian Farmers Association highlighted a demographic crisis: nearly half of the region’s farmers are over 65, while young farmers under 40 receive only a small share of direct PAC aid. The association warned that low profitability, fragmented holdings, and competition from imports are driving field abandonment and rural depopulation, urging structural measures and EU‑funded programmes to revive about 180,000 ha of abandoned land.

Together, the snapshots illustrate that while certain crime metrics have improved, deeper structural issues—aging farmer populations, insufficient youth renewal, and land abandonment—continue to challenge the sustainability of agriculture in the Valencian Community.