The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry welcomed the authorisation of the Council of the European Union for the mandatory labelling of milk and dairy products, which should contain the statement "of Portuguese origin."
 
For João Ponte, "this is a very important measure for the sector and will enable consumers to choose the quality of the Azores milk, which represents over 30% of the total produced in the country."
 
The EU decision is also very important due to "the positive impact that labelling will have on the cheese produced in the Azores and in his promotion in the markets," said the government official.
 
"The labelling of milk and dairy products is a matter that the industry had been advocating for some time. It is a valuable aid for consumers' awareness when buying cheese or milk as they will be informed about the origin of these products.  The decision protects us because our expectation to turn it into an essential tool in the defence of local production," added the government official.
 
João Ponte spoke on the sidelines of a visit to São Miguel Cheese Plant, located in the village of Arrifes. This company intends to consolidate its position in the local market as well as to invest in other markets.
 
The Regional Secretary added that the decision "is consistent with the promotion and certification strategy for Azorean milk and dairy products. In this regard, the Azores Brand plays an important role by attracting new markets at national, European and international level."
 
"Despite being a step forward, this measure does not solve the underlying problem created by the abolition of milk quotas. Therefore, the Government of the Azores will continue to defend with the European Union the replacement of public tools for the regulation of production and flow regulation in the milk and dairy sectors.