The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated today that the Regional Government will continue working for the development of agriculture on the island of Corvo by supporting and encouraging the sustainable growth of the sector with the collaboration of the local agricultural association.
"Whether by supporting producers' organisations and endowing Agrarian Development Services with technical resources or by investing in the modernisation of agricultural infrastructures, the Regional Government will continue with the strategy to ensure that agriculture continues to progress and that farmers improve working conditions and the efficiency of their farms," said João Ponte. The government official spoke on the sidelines of a meeting with the Board of Corvo Agricultural Association.
On the first day of the Regional Government's statutory visit, João Ponte mentioned that Corvo Agricultural Cooperative received a financial allocation of 15 thousand Euros in 2018 and a new application for 2019 is currently under consideration. These funds are essential to improve the technical support provided to farmers, stimulate production, improve quality, invest in vocational training and to comply with animal health plans.
The government official also announced that several public sessions aimed at the provision of information and training to farmers in the areas of cattle breeding and extensive beef cattle farming will take place during the first half of this year.
"Despite the good natural conditions for meat production, it is still necessary to ensure the production of milk so as to safeguard the feasibility of Lacticorvo cooperative. It produces a unique that has already become a reference on Corvo Island," João Ponte said, highlighting the importance of agriculture for the economy of the smallest island of the archipelago.
In this context, the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry pointed out that, for the Government, the investments in the agricultural sector are not measured by the number of farmers, by the area of production or by the size of the island. In fact, the Government makes investments on all islands, thus ensuring the development of territorial cohesion.