PALMA, 17 (EUROPA PRESS)
The second edition of the voucher program for local products has generated 1.78 million euros in sales for farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and food producers in the Balearic Islands.
Consumers have redeemed 83,419 vouchers – 91.74 percent of the total available – resulting in more than 21,000 purchases, according to a statement from the Ministry of Territory, Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment.
This second edition of the campaign, in collaboration with the Mallorca Chamber of Commerce, had a total budget of one million euros. This figure represents an increase over the previous year due to measures implemented by the Balearic Government to mitigate the effects of the war in the Middle East.
Of this one million euros, 909,250 were allocated to the nearly 91,000 ten-euro vouchers made available to consumers. The remainder covers the campaign's administrative expenses.
This second edition of the initiative has increased the maximum amount of vouchers available per consumer from 60 to 100 euros. Each voucher gave its holder a ten-euro discount for every 20 euros spent on local products.
"Faced with a situation that called for greater support for the primary sector, the response shows that the measure has worked. More than 91 percent of the vouchers have been used, generating nearly 1.8 million euros in sales of local products," said Joan Simonet, the regional minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, who presented the campaign's results at Son Catiu on Monday.
In total, 13,656 people have redeemed vouchers. The average value of the 21,049 sales made was €84.75, and an average of four vouchers were used per transaction.
The Director General of Agri-Food Quality and Local Product, Joan Llabrés, stated that "the results show that vouchers are an effective tool for guiding consumption toward local products."
For his part, Carlos Bibiloni, head of projects at the Mallorca Chamber of Commerce, argued that "buying and consuming local products means supporting the businesses, producers, and shops" of the islands and helps sustain economic activity.
MAJORICA EXCHANGES NINE OUT OF TEN VOUCHERS
The campaign has had a very high redemption rate throughout the archipelago. In Mallorca, 71,808 vouchers have been redeemed (86.08%); in Ibiza, 6,339 (7.6 percent); in Menorca, 4,938 (5.92 percent); and in Formentera, 334 (0.4 percent).
The redistribution of available vouchers among the islands during the campaign has allowed the supply to be adjusted to demand, the Regional Ministry highlighted.
Regarding the final allocation, 91.11 percent of the vouchers were redeemed in Mallorca, 94.51 percent in Menorca, 96.76 percent in Ibiza, and 100 percent in Formentera.
WINE, FRUIT, AND VEGETABLES, IN THE LEAD
Stores specializing mainly in wine accounted for 27,265 vouchers (32.68%), while those selling fruit and vegetables registered 27,212 (32.62%).
Together, these two categories account for more than 65 percent of the vouchers redeemed. They are followed by meat and cured meats, with 13,360 vouchers (16.02 percent).
By type of establishment, farms lead in redemptions (18,852 vouchers), followed by agricultural and food cooperatives (15,911) and points of sale in the Direct Sales Network of the Balearic Islands (14,650).
Simonet stated that the goal is for "the campaign to become a permanent part of consumption habits" and expressed his confidence that "people who have visited a farm, a cooperative, or a direct sales point in recent months will return and continue choosing local products."
