Bodegas Tendal, the phoenix of La Palma

The vice-counselor of the Primary Sector of the Government of the Canary Islands, Eduardo Garcia, visited the renovated facilities of Bodegas Tendal following the reconstruction works carried out within the framework of a subsidy 1.055.661,08 euros granted to 26 beneficiaries to recover damaged agricultural potential, both in wine farms and in other crops, due to the fires that occurred in the summer of 2023 in La Palma and Tenerife, as well as the DANA-type storm that affected the La Palma municipality of Fuencaliente in December 2022.

This line of action of the Rural Development Program (PDR), financed through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER), of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and food, It was called after the declaration of a catastrophe situation, that the Governing Council agreed in February 2024 at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Cattle raising, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty.

During the visit, in which the island councilor of the area also participated, Alberto Paz; and the mayor of Tijarafe, Yaiza Caceres; and the general director of Agriculture, Juan Ramon Rodriguez; The vice-counselor pointed out that “events as destructive as fires or torrential rains require firm support to restore the damaged facilities quickly and in this way try to minimize their impact by resuming, as soon as possible, of productive activity”.

In this sense, García pointed out that, in addition to the call for this general aid for affected producers in La Palma and Tenerife, the Department of Agriculture, Cattle raising, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty granted “a direct subsidy of 218.000 euros to the Cabildo of La Palma in December 2024 to support the maintenance of personnel in a context of lack of grapes for winemaking”. This performance, in addition, was reinforced by the insular corporation with 399.000 euros until reaching an amount of 617.000 euros to compensate for the damage caused by the fire, especially in grape cultivation.

Apart from wine-growing lands, the summer fire 2023 in La Palma caused damage to agricultural infrastructure and crops, like citrus, avocados, almond trees, vegetables for self-consumption, temperate fruit trees and vineyards in the municipalities of Puntagorda, Tijarafe and Los Llanos de Aridane.

Specifically, The actions carried out at Bodegas Tendal have involved an investment of 825.216,60 euros covered through this helpline. The breakdown of the total investment includes works that included both the demolition of the affected structure and the foundation work., facades, covers, carpentry or coatings, as well as municipal license fees, waste management or quality controls, safety and health.

Besides, Through this line of support, the acquisition of machinery for wine production was also financed., which includes an automatic ceramic tangential filter, a labeler, a bottling-corking machine, a forklift, an air compressor, an electric stacker or a water heater, in addition to other investments in equipment such as 46 oak barrels or 16 stainless steel tanks, among other eligible expenses.