Our regional Prime Minister, Susana Diaz, has been visiting Pampaneira during this XXXII Feria de Artesanía, Turismo y Agricultura Ecológica this weekend.

It’s worth noting that the Alpujarras (Granada/Almería) represent 19% of Spain’s artisanal/craft sector, with its 7,000 companies giving employment to 20,000 people.

She was there to announce that her II Plan de Desarrollo Sostenible de Sierra Nevada will be injecting 63m euros into the area in the next three years.

She also said that 54% of new employment being created in Europe is linked to rural areas and that in Andalucía over half the population lives in rural areas, which is why, she says, it is important to back rural employment in order to keep at bay the slow but relentless depopulation process of rural areas; i.e., the young moving to the towns and cities in search of work, which is depleting the future of villages.

Whilst up in that part of the Alpujarras, she will also be visiting Torvizcón, Mecina Bombarón y Bubión.

Editorial comment: whilst it is reassuring to see regional bigwigs visiting small villages, one would be naive not to note that we have the regional elections in about six weeks…

(News: Pampaneira, Alpujarra, Granada, Andalucia)