The Union of Farmers, Ranchers and Foresters of the Community of Madrid (Ugama) has requested urgent help for farmers affected by the fire in Sierra Oeste. The organization has already sent forage and a generator to the area.
The Union of Farmers, Ranchers and Foresters of the Community of Madrid (Ugama) has activated an urgent appeal to assist farmers whose operations have been damaged by the forest fire affecting Sierra Oeste. The organization, which maintains constant contact with the General Directorate of Agriculture, Livestock and Food of the Community of Madrid, has begun assessing the damage while deploying the first aid on the ground.
The president of Ugama, Carmelo Ramírez Uceda, has personally gone to the disaster area to coordinate the delivery of a truck loaded with forage intended for farmers who have lost feed for their animals. Additionally, he has sent an electric generator to alleviate the immediate shortages in the affected operations.
“In times like this, it is important to stand by farmers and ranchers, listen to their needs, and act to ensure that help reaches where it is most urgent,” Ramírez emphasized in a statement released this Monday.
The priority now, according to the association, is to “ensure that no rancher is left without the basic resources” to care for their animals, while the assessment of damage to operations, infrastructure, and means of production continues. Ugama has thanked the collaboration of the General Director of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, Ángel de Oteo, for his “involvement from the very first moment” in addressing this emergency.
The president of the organization has described what has happened as “an unprecedented disaster” and noted that it is still “too early” to quantify the total extent of the damage. However, he has confirmed that many producers have lost everything in municipalities such as Chapinería, Colmenar del Arroyo, Fresnedillas de la Oliva, and Navas del Rey, towns located in the Sierra Oeste region.
Ugama has called on all affected parties to convey their specific demands to the organization. In this way, they aim to channel the needs and continue working alongside the regional administration in the recovery of the operations. The association insists that coordination with the General Directorate of Agriculture is constant and that the most appropriate measures for each case are being evaluated.
The fire, which has devastated hundreds of hectares of forest and pastures, has put a region where extensive livestock farming is a key economic activity in jeopardy. Many ranchers have seen the fire destroy not only the pastures but also facilities, feed storage, and water supply systems.
Ugama reminds that the primary sector of the Community of Madrid, often overlooked, suffers directly from the consequences of forest fires. The loss of pastures jeopardizes the feeding of livestock in the short and medium term, and the reconstruction of infrastructure can take months.
For the moment, the organization has prioritized the distribution of forage and energy assistance with generators, but they warn that needs will increase as the real extent of the damage becomes known. Ugama hopes that the regional administration will activate specific aid lines for ranchers, beyond compensation for forest damage.
Affected ranchers can contact Ugama through their usual channels to report their losses and request assistance. The organization has committed to keeping its members informed about the aid that will be made available.
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