World in brief

SPAIN

Spanish farmers are bracing for water restrictions as the country’s Catalonia region is experiencing a historic drought. The government said it was prepared to declare a drought emergency as the region’s water reserves fell below 16% of capacity. The state of emergency would lower the daily amount of water permitted for residential and municipal purposes from Ř1Ŗȟ to ŘŖŖȟ a person. Agriculture and industry would also experience water cuts. The area has had below-average rainfall for 40 months.

INDIA

Farmers who marched to the capital city, Delhi, in February have rejected proposals from the government. According to local media, the farmers were seeking laws that would guarantee minimum prices for certain crops. But protest leaders said they refused the government’s offer of a fiveyear contract for guaranteed prices for five crops, including pulses, maize and cotton.

UNITED STATES

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it was about 18 months away from producing a vaccine for bird flu. In a statement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that more than 81 million poultry and aquatic birds had been killed by avian influenza across 47 states since January 2022. The USDA planned to discuss poultry vaccinations with trading partners amid concerns that other countries could restrict imports of vaccinated US poultry.

The World Organisation for Animal Health in May 2023 said that governments needed to consider bird flu vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus. –