AGRICULTURE IN VILLAFÁFILA

At the beginning of the 20th century. The Roman plow, with an iron bed, continues to be used in the town, with shallow workings and little turning of the land. It was complemented with trail work (harrows) that broke the crust of the soil, formed by rain and frost, while cleaning that of weeds.

There are a large number of farms 8,790 of very small size, which leads to lower yields, more work as the farms are dispersed.

Cereal harvesting required abundant human labor, which was available due to the absence of industrialization. Sowing by hand, reaping with a sickle (in the meadows with a scythe), threshing on the threshing floor, winnowing and sifting by hand, using cerandas and sieves. Until 1920 the Roman plow represented 63% of its species

Modernization came with the rise of mineral fertilizers and mechanization of the field: moldboard plow, seeder, mower and winnowing. Manufacturing machines in Spain was notable from 1912: Talleres de Medina de Rioseco And Aaron Casasola de Tierra de Campos.

Agrarian production follows climatic, economic and political crises. Thus the sugar beet grew between 1891-1903, to stagnate in 1903-1914 by the overproduction and competence of Cuban and PORRALRICA sugar.

Bad, average and connets happen throughout the century, in this respect we must point out as one of the worst, among the first that of 1944-1945, as a result of a strong drought, was a year of poverty and politically hunger As a result of peasant agitation, in the area (1904), the Institute of Social Reforms (1903) was created. The State intervened in agrarian problems through the central colonization and inner repopulation board, created in 1907. It lasts until the arrival of General Rivera Primo dictatorship. Its purpose was the formation of agricultural colonies, by settlement of small owners.

The aforementioned dictatorship, the agrarian problem problem differently. He created the General Directorate of Agrarian Social Action to help the lease groups, which thus accessed the property of the terrazzo they cultivated.

The inhabitant of Villafáfila dedicates its main activity to agriculture.

Follow the cereal cultivation of the year in year and time traditional. Intensive crops were also made in irrigation, which was barely represented 0.1% of all the terrain. This took place through artesian wells and ferris wheels, which disappear, practically, from the Great Drought of 1945. Then it was reached, in the first, in depths of 20-30 m. To find the water table, today you have to reach more than 100 m. To locate it.

The irrigated terrazzo was cultivated from beet, alfalfa, horticultural plants etc. Nowadays everything has disappeared.

The most used seed varieties used to be the candi (T. estimate) and the mocho (T. hibernun) for wheat and that of the country for barley. Oats and rye were also cultivated, but in tiny proportions, lacking important within the entire cultivable terrain. The terrazzo of barbeks is grown chickpeas and peas, in an extension even more tiny than the previous ones.

The most widespread crops are wheat and barley, which carry almost a monoculture. Some like Sunflower and Cártamo, they are an essay in the area, resulting not very satisfactory. The vineyard gradually tends to disappear, there are a few << josas >> (vineyards with almond) while alfalfa, well in monthly or annual courts, in seed, is increasingly employed.

The vineyard is no quality of plants. Mixtures of varieties are grown: Jerez, Malvasía, Garnacha, Verdejo, etc. White and inks. With yields of 300 kg./ha = 20 hlitros of wine, with graduation that rarely spent the 12th alcoholic grades.

With the arrival of the 60s, in the Villa, there is a great transformation in agricultural holdings: use of the tractor, contribution of mineral fertilizers and the incorporation of new varieties of seeds.

The agrarian concentration is carried out by a great improvement for the farmer, is passed to farms of much more size of the 8,790 farms is passed to 1,320.

The animals used for cultivation, mules, horses, oxen, disappear with the arrival of the tractor, today is not conceived, in Villafáfila agrarian exploitation without tractor. Horse possession is a social welfare rate in the present. The car has disappeared, replaced by the trailer. The use of the tractor provides quality in the tasks. The cattle, sheep and porcine increased, as rentals for income to be more productive.

The subscriber with mineral fertilizers: superphosphates, enriched phosphates, sulfates and nitrates of lime, sodium and ammonium, chlorides, sulfates and potash nitrates. Its use increases and today are widespread. The manure, so necessary is less used, due to the animal decrease, although offset by income, in those farmers who have it. The burning of stubbles has been banished.

As a result of emigration, labor is scarce, up its price, being unaffordable to traditional agriculture. By imposing the mechanization disappears almost completely.

The vineyard and the garden are not profitable, because they are labor consumers, the result is its disappearance. With the increase of livestock farms, it increases the planting of feed and barley cereals, tends to the cultivation of industrial plants of dry, sunflower, the cultivation of the beet has disappeared.

There are only a pair of farms that have irrigated, who obtain the artesian well water from more than a hundred meters.

The many of the agricultural holdings are disappearing, I have been joining others, for leasing or purchase, to be more profitable.

The price crisis in agricultural products happens over the period 1900-1937 (era assemblers) that the National Service is created Wheat (SNT) with state monopoly of the grain trade and the creation of an important network storage (silos) strategically placed. Later it happened the same purpose to the National Service of Agricultural Products (SENPA). This monopoly intended to regulate the acquisition, mobilization and price of agricultural produce. This was based on an abstract species, for the nation, regardless of the regions of the crop without referring to a specific variety, type of farm and soil conditions and climate. In fixing it :) attending planned domestic production. B) consumption needs. C) deficit or surplus expected production. D) Global situation of the trade of the products. E) Conjuncture for imports or exports. F) Influence between farmers: livelihoods, expansion or reduction of agricultural exploitation and conditions of soil and climate. G) Influence on the cost of consumers' life. H) Comparison with other basic food products. I) Influence in the national economy. J) Profitability of holdings.

Subsequently, the price was modified according to the varieties of the product: a) taking into account the productive performance. B) To the Harino-Baker quality. C) To bonuses or depreciation for cleaning, humidity, strange seeds, specific weight, etc.

He had come moments of lower domestic shortages.

In principle, the price was placed by the General Police and Transport Message and then by the Sort and Regulatory Price and Agricultural Fund (Forepa), as rectors of the price policy. The official statistics of prices are not very correct in the period 1940-1954, due to the existing black market. From 1954 to 1980 they are more accurate. Even so, you have to make corrections.

These prices experienced a continuous elevation, with remarkable rises and benefits for the farmer.

Agriculture of the 1940-1960 years was of financial resources for the industrial sector, given its economy and state protection as a source of income. From then on, it occupies little importance in financing the economic development of the country. Step from 48% of the 1940s to 4% in the 1960 and following.

 He has currently disappeared the state monopoly on agricultural prices. The market is free, with which the farmer is subjected to the willingness of the buyer, if it is not previously passed by the speculator, which is the one who puts the price of the product. In the livestock it happens the same: the price of milk or animal sold.

The farmer and livestock go to the formation of storage and sale cooperatives.

The increase in the price of oil, brought the crisis of the 1970s and the following, current and upcoming, with loss of agrarian assets. In turn influenced by the retirement, death or disability of the farmer, derives from the aging of the agrarian population.

The financing of the agricultural sector from 70 is difficult. The consumption of the farmer does not exceed the gross income of his holdings and negatives the savings of it.

EUROPEAN UNION

With the entrance of Spain in the European Union, it is to greatly mark the agrarian policy.

It is passed to leave a large part of the fallow surface, compensated for farmers with aid, depending on the common agricultural political reform (PAC) of that time.

The prices of cereals have been progressively lowered, while wages, fertilizers, machinery herbicides, etc., has risen-

To the reduction of institutional prices proposes the decrease in monthly increases in the intervention and entry prices that are intended to finance storage costs.

A price policy taking into account its leveling with those of the rest of Europe is difficult for the peasant.

In short, the farm is becoming less profitable once and survival of the hardest modest farmer.

All this has taken place in the last 30 years producing a transformation in the agricultural-livestock aspect that has changed the agriculture of Villafafila, which had remained stagnant for centuries. In fact, due to human progress, they are general transformations that affect more to a people to the regional and national sphere.

Author:

Manuel de la Graja Alonso.

José Luis Domínguez Martínez.

Bibliography:

Manuel de la Graja Alonso

History and News of a Villa Castellano-Leonesa. nineteen ninety six.

Photographs:

Yielded Y.

José Luis Domínguez Martínez.

Transcription and assembly:

José Luis Domínguez Martínez.

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