Success of agriculture depends on continuous anticipation and evaluation of consumer trends, says Regional Director
The Regional Director for Agriculture stated that the success of agriculture in the Azores, a sector of paramount importance for the regional economy, is based on the permanent commitment to quality, differentiation of production, innovation and anticipation of the evolution and change in consumers' eating habits and market needs, always safeguarding food safety.
"The Government, producers and industries are all working to make Azorean agriculture increasingly sustainable, more competitive and more profitable. This has to be a joint effort in order to achieve better results," said José Élio Ventura. He spoke Monday in Angra do Heroísmo at the "Lecture Night," an initiative organised by AJAT - Young Farmers' Association of Terceira.
José Élio Ventura delivered a lecture on "Evolution and Challenges of Agriculture on Tereceira." On the occasion, he considered that the Azores are "a good example" for the development registered by the entire sector, the improvement of production quality through certification and organic production, and for their farmers, who have managed to overcome various challenges.
"In the milk sector, despite the decline in the number of producers, production has always been growing, as has the quality of raw materials. As for the meat sector, beef cattle increase from 76 thousand animals in 2006 to 94 thousand in 2018," said the Regional Director.
Of the current 2,396 milk producers in the Azores, 692 are based on the island of Terceira, where the average production per farm stands at about 226 thousand litres.
According to the Regional Director, 835 bovines were supported under the programme for the acquisition of pure beef breeds between 2012 and 2018, including 91 animals on Terceira, which represents an overall investment of 675 thousand Euros.
José Élio Ventura also stressed that rural areas are extremely important for the consolidation of ecosystems, biodiversity, and agri-food production, pointing out the importance of promoting "the search for collaborative strategies and incentives for entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector and business creation."
With the ongoing growth of the world population, José Élio Ventura stressed that the Azores must be able to anticipate market needs in order to meet the demands of consumers, while providing added value to their agricultural production.