The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry met today with the Director of São Miguel Young Farmers Association (AJAM), a meeting intended to analyse the restructuring of the sector and the issue of early retirement.
 
João Ponte stressed that he "took note" of these issues and made the commitment to analyse the claim of AJAM so the application period for the measures to encourage the entry of young people in the sector and the early retirement of farmers may be always open.
 
The Regional Secretary recalled that "there are always financial limits." Nevertheless, he made the commitment to "review this matter carefully."
 
A total of about 60 applications were submitted under programme for the restructuring of the dairy sector. The payments will be made in two instalments: one in 2016 and another in 2017, starting from June 30 of each year.
 
The contracts were signed in September; the amount of the first instalment is stipulated at 600 thousand Euros.
 
With regard to the early retirement, the deadline for submission of applications under the current legal framework ends on November 30.
 
The meeting with AJAM also addressed the situation of the milk and meat sectors.
 
"The diagnosis made by AJAM coincides with that of the Government," João Ponte said, adding that "it is now important to find solutions and measures."
 
"This involves the generation of added value in the milk market and the meat market," stressed the government official.
 
As for the milk situation, the Regional Secretary reiterated that the Government of the Azores "will implement a series of measures to consolidate the Region's status as "Azores - Region of Excellence." It is based on environmental, economic and social sustainability of the agricultural, forestry and agri-food sector under a Value Generation Strategy based on qualification and diversification, which represents more value to the processed product and more wealth to industries and producers."
 
For João Ponte, it is also necessary to "increase competitiveness and the export potential of strategic sectors, notably the milk sector, through the continuous improvement of the health status of Azorean cattle and a programme for the Promotion of Regional Agri-business. This will strengthen presence of this industry and its products in traditional export markets, but also in the search for new markets. "
 
The Regional Government, like AJAM, intends to intensify the promotional campaigns for milk and meat as products of the "Azores - Region of Excellence."
 
As for the promotional campaign of the Azores milk, we launched this year several advertising campaigns in the media and over the Internet.
 
"Henceforth," said João Ponte, "the intention is to reach a consensus with industry partners, especially with the Azorean the Milk and Dairy Centre, regarding joint strategies involving the production, processing and the Regional Government."
 
The regional meat sector was also under analysis at the meeting with ACT.
 
The investments already made and in progress in the regional slaughter network, along with support mechanisms under the POSEI, boosted this sector to new levels of competitiveness by stimulating the slaughters in the region and the export of carcasses and packaged meat.
 
Under this policy to develop the meat sector, the regional slaughter network is of fundamental importance.
 
"We are making a very substantial investment in four slaughterhouses. Within a year and a half, we will have a redeveloped a slaughter network that is able to meet the challenges of the future, namely the export of meat to other markets," said João Ponte.