Castilla-La Mancha announces two million in aid against rabbit damage

The Vice-Ministry of Environment of Castilla-La Mancha has announced for the year 2026, under the de minimis regime, grants aimed at preventing damage caused by the wild rabbit to agricultural crops, with a budget of 2,000,000 euros. The call is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha (DOCM) no. 193, dated October 7, 2026, via the Resolution of 09/29/2026 (reference 2026/7189). The deadline for submitting applications is one month starting from the day following its publication.

The call is based on Order 122/2026, of August 25, of the Ministry of Sustainable Development, which establishes the regulatory bases for these subsidies and was published in DOCM no. 166, of August 31, 2026. That order was subject to a correction of errors published in DOCM no. 192, of October 6, 2026 (reference 2026/7079), which reduced the minimum thickness of the rabbit mesh wire from 1 mm to 0.7 mm.

The measure responds to the overabundance of wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in certain areas of the region, which generates “significant damage” to agricultural holdings and necessitates complementing the population control measures of hunting regulations. The extract of the call is identified in the National Subsidy Database with the number BDNS 931983.

Amount and financing

• Total amount: 2,000,000 euros, with 1,000,000 euros in 2026 and 1,000,000 in 2027.
• Item 23030000G/442B/7734R: 1,960,000 euros; item 23030000G/442B/7834R: 40,000 euros.
• Aid intensity: 70% of eligible expenses.
• Maximum amount of eligible expenses: 14,500 euros; maximum aid per beneficiary: 10,150 euros.
• De minimis limit: 50,000 euros per beneficiary in any three-year period, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 1408/2013.

Eligible actions and territorial scope

The acquisition and installation of perimeter enclosures of hexagonal “rabbit-type” triple-twist mesh, individual protectors and stakes for woody plants, and the removal of warrens (majanos) will be eligible for subsidies. The maximum amounts are:

• Fencing with rabbit mesh: 3 euros per linear meter.
• Individual woody protector: 0.80 euros per unit.
• Removal of warrens: 200 euros per unit.

The grants apply to the temporary hunting emergency area for rabbit damage declared via Resolution of 02/03/2026, of the Vice-Ministry of Environment, which covers municipal districts of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Toledo. Actions in plots with SIGPAC use of permanent pasture with trees (PA), shrubby pasture (PR), and grassland (PS) are not permitted.

Requirements, processing, and deadlines

Beneficiaries may be natural persons, legal entities, communities of property, or other entities without legal personality that hold agricultural holdings, provided that the plots are registered in the Agricultural Holdings Registry of Castilla-La Mancha. The grant will be resolved through a competitive process, and the aid is incompatible with other public aid for the same purpose.

• Application period: one month from the day following publication.
• Maximum period for resolution and notification: six months; silence implies rejection.
• Automatic advance of 50% of the granted aid, without the need for a guarantee.
• Execution of the investment: between 6 and 12 months from the notification of the grant, with an extension of up to half of the initial period.
• Administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) before the head of the Regional Ministry of Sustainable Development within one month.

The resolution was signed in Toledo on September 29, 2026, by the Vice-Minister of Environment, José Almodóvar Aráez, and is processed under procedure number 036999 (SIACI code KMKA).

The call reaches farmers in the five provinces affected by the overabundance of rabbits with a specific line to finance fencing, protectors, and the removal of majanos (rabbit warrens), with a 50% advance that reduces the initial financial burden. For holdings included in the hunting emergency region, the one-month period opens a limited window to request up to 10,150 euros per beneficiary.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 193, October 7, 2026, III.- Other Provisions and Acts, pages 34472-34492 (official reference: 2026/7189).