The President of the Government conveyed his public recognition to all those who, throughout the ages, have dedicated themselves to agriculture in the Azores and who, with their work and effort, contributed to the current development of this sector and the entire Region.

"When we talk about tractors, milking parlours, artificial insemination, genetic enhancement, we cannot forget that today we can only talk about all this because many farmers throughout the archipelago have worked hard and overcome many difficulties in order to be where we are today," said Vasco Cordeiro.

The President of the Government spoke during a tribute paid by Arrifes Village Council to twenty farmers aged over 80, an event organised during the celebrations of the Village Day.

Vasco Cordeiro stressed that despite the "passing of time" and the various technologies and tools that are currently available to farmers, we must not forget that the Azores were, to a large extent, "built from the hoe."

"Without ignoring the contribution of other activities in one way or another, we are linked to these roots as well as to this starting point," said the President of the Government. According to him, the best way to honour the effort and contribution of those who were linked to Agriculture "is to not only look back, but also to face future challenges."

"We have to use the same temper, the same courage and the same dignity to overcome the challenges that lie ahead, whatever they are," defended Vasco Cordeiro.