Government of the Azores to continue providing tools for improvement of dairy industry and milk production
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated today at the Legislative Assembly in Horta that the Regional Government will continue providing the dairy industry and milk production with tools to improve performance, increase efficiency and boost their income. As he emphasised, the price of milk paid to producers is not just a regional problem.
"The price of milk paid to producers is not just a problem in the Azores. We have a similar problem in Mainland Portugal and in Europe. In France, where the price of milk is above the European average, producers are also facing difficulties," stressed João Ponte. In this regard, he added that the role played by the Regional Government is not to set the price of milk, but to continue working to improve the conditions of farmers so that they can reduce production costs and become more competitive.
João Ponte spoke during a debate on the loss of income of milk producers, considering that the Azores are heavily conditioned by the prices set by markets and by an operator who exerts great influence in the national dairy processing sector, in addition to being pressured by large distribution chains. According to him, the Regional Government cannot be accountable for these constraints.
The Secretary for Agriculture revealed that the Government's strategy will continue to focus on the modernisation of the sector, investing in roads, water supply and electrification of farms, as well as on the support to industries towards innovation, new markets and internationalisation. In this context, he considered that the investments supported, before and after the end of milk quotas, were essential to leverage the milk sector.
The government official also stressed that the indicators available account for the development and success of the dairy sector in this legislative period, as production grew 5%, the average revenue of farms increased 12%, the industry turnover grew 9% and industry productivity increased 10%. Moreover, 250 young people have entered the milk production sector and the number of investment projects for the modernisation of farms stood at 400.
"On the part of the Regional Government, farmers can count on our commitment, work and motivation to help developing the sector. The same thing applies to the case of industries," said João Ponte.
The Regional Secretary also said that the Government will continue implementing measures for the reduction of costs, the restructuring of the sector and the improvement of farm performance. In this context, he pointed out, as example, the creation of a new programme to support the modernisation of agriculture, PROAMA +, the Young Farmer programme, the I9AGRI programme, the new legal scheme on the cessation of agricultural activity and the status of small family farming in the Azores.
"The Regional Government will continue to work with the Agricultural Federation on other measures that can help the restructuring of milk production and, simultaneously, improving the efficiency of dairy farms. I am talking about the changes to be proposed to POSEI 2020 programme, namely the introduction of new aid criteria to discourage intensive production or to encourage, under certain conditions, the reconversion of farms from milk and meat production," said João Ponte.