The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated today on Terceira Island that the investment in quality is one of the ways to better promote Azorean beef.
“Along with the continued commitment to good animal conformation, genetics and health, it is essential to continue focusing on quality and certification schemes, such as the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) or Organic Production Mode (OPM), towards the promotion of this product," said João Ponte.
The Regional Secretary spoke at the end of a PGI certified beef farm on Terceira Island, whose investment project was supported under PRORURAL+. On the occasion, he stressed that the Regional Government has been working in recent years for the development of the sector and the increased promotion of beef. In this regard, he pointed out, as example, the large investments in the modernisation of the regional slaughtering network and in the certification of the facilities according to the ISO 22000 quality standard.
“It is now important for producers to make full use of the infrastructures they have at their disposal and to invest more in increasing the quality of their productions so that they can sell better and, thereby, boost their income,” João Ponte said, adding that Terceira Island accounts for 30% of the beef produced in the Azores.
As regards PGI meat, the government official stated that the number of farms approved for the production of this type of meat, more sustainable and environmentally friendly, has doubled over the last decade. Currently, there are almost 900 approved farms in the archipelago for PGI meat production.
PGI meat is a special product with specific characteristics from cattle bred and slaughtered in the Region according to traditional methods, giving it a unique quality that should be valued over other types of meat.
João Ponte also highlighted the important role of Regional Strategy Centre for Azores Meat (CERCA), created in this legislative term. This entity is committed to working with production and marketing so that the meat sector may improve levels of meat quality and further promote its quality. Accordingly, it is necessary to better exploit niche markets, such as organic or PGI meat as it can contribute to the promotion of meat and generate more income for producers.