Vila-real City Council is close to formalizing the transfer of 80,000 square meters of municipal land to the Generalitat Valenciana, located on the Onda road. This operation, valued at approximately three million euros, aims to enhance the current Agricultural Experimental Station and the Regional Agricultural Office, with the goal of turning them into a reference center for agricultural research and experimentation in the province of Castellón.
A significant portion of this land is already used for trials with new crops and experimentation, although ownership still belongs to the council. The transfer will allow for the consolidation of facilities and facilitate future expansion and research projects, as highlighted by the mayor, José Benlloch, who compared the area to ten football fields.
This project, initiated in September 2021, seeks to strengthen agricultural research and innovation, with a special focus on citrus farming. The regional government had previously expressed its intention to make the station a benchmark, connected to the territory, farmers, and local administrations, addressing issues such as plant health and biological pest control, including the 'cotonet' pest.
The Vila-real facility is the only agricultural experimental station in the province of Castellón. The land transfer coincides with emergency works being carried out by the Generalitat to reinforce and rehabilitate the buildings of the Regional Agricultural Office and the Agricultural Experimental Station, which have suffered from severe structural problems related to aluminosis.
Mayor Benlloch emphasized that the transfer is being made without financial compensation, framed within 'institutional loyalty,' although he called for greater cooperation and reiterated his criticisms regarding expenses the municipality is assuming that should fall under the regional government. The definitive transfer will provide a stable patrimonial base for the station, poised to increase its role in research, innovation, and knowledge transfer to Castellón's agricultural sector.
