The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Spanish: Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, MAPA) is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for designing and implementing the government policy on agricultural, livestock and fishery resources, food industry and safety and rural development. The Ministry is responsible for assigning Veterinary Surgeons to carry out checks in regard to the issuing of REGA Licences (Registro de Explotación) a requirement for the ownership of horses on Spanish property and small holdings. Specifically, it corresponds to the MAPA the preparation of State legislation on agriculture, fisheries and food; the proposal and carrying out of the general guidelines of the Government on agricultural, fisheries and food policies; the representation of Spain in the international organizations corresponding to these matters; as well as the coordination of actions, cooperation and agreement in the design and application of all policies that affect the scope of competences of the autonomous communities and the other public administrations, encouraging their participation through the cooperation bodies and instruments adequate. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is headed by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, a member of the Council of Ministers appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. The current minister is Mr. Luis Planas since June 2018.
History
Early period From the beginning of the 18th century, when the first modern ministries were established, the powers over everything related to the countryside were vested in the Ministry of the Interior (then called "Secretariat of State and of the Dispatch of General Development of the Realm")—although they overlapped with some that were also assigned to the Ministry of Finance or independent agencies such us the Council of the Mesta (Spanish: Consejo de la Mesta) or the Forest Conservancy (Spanish: Conservaduría de Montes). The Interior Ministry acted as a catch-all agency where many areas of government were managed—including the promotion of agriculture, plant nurseries and breeding cattle, gardening and conservation of mountains and trees, as well as hunting and fishing— but most of its powers were gradually transferred to other agencies as government action became more specialized. Thus, in the middle of the 19th century, the Ministry of Development (then called "Ministry of Trade, Public Instruction and Works") was created, which grouped together functions related to public education and those related to charity, public works and the promotion of commerce. Although it was not initially planned that this new agency would take on agricultural affairs, a few weeks later it was decided to do so, removing his charitable powers, which remained in the Interior Ministry. The agriculture responsibilities remained in the Ministry of Development for nearly one hundred years, always with the organic level of directorate-general. As happened with the Ministry of the Interior, development gave rise to new departments, such as Public Instruction and Fine Arts (1900), Labour (1920) or National Economy (1928). Specifically, in this last split, the Ministry of National Economy —today the Ministry of Industry and Tourism— assumed the Directorate-General for Agriculture, with the agricultural chambers, the Agronomic Council and the association of livestock farmers and the services of Hygiene and Livestock Health. This new department evolved rapidly, and shortly thereafter, by Decree of 16 December 1931 of the President of the Republic, Niceto Alcalá Zamora, it was renamed "Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade" and grouped together the directorates-general of Agriculture, Industry and Trade that it already had as well as those relating to mines, forestry, fishing and livestock of the Ministry of Development.
The importance of agriculture: specific ministry The importance of the economic area and the important role played by the primary sector in the Spanish economy at the beginning of the 20th century—the population dedicated to agriculture accounted for nearly 50% of the total active population— was evident from the beginning, since as early as 1900 the term "Agriculture" began to appear in the names of some government departments such as the ministries of Development or Industry. The decisive point was reached in 1933. In June, under the premiership of Manuel Azaña, the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade was divided into two; on the one hand, the powers over industry and trade were kept together, and on the other, for the first time, a department was created exclusively dedicated to agricultural issues. The separation became final, except in the period from 25 September 1935 to 19 February 1936, when it was briefly merged again the responsibilities of industry and trade.
Agrarian reforms of 1932 and 1935
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