The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and the Environment stressed the value and importance of the contribution provided by all Azorean farmers to regional economy at the opening session of the Rural World Meeting, held on Faial.

"I believe in the skills and value of Azorean farmers involved in milk production, meat production or in the production of other agricultural products. I do not doubt the relevance of their contribution and of what they represent to regional economy, that is, to all of us," said Luís Neto Viveiros.

According to the Regional Secretary, agriculture and programmes such as PRORURAL + are essential to "the maintenance of the population, especially young people, and to the sustainable and balanced development of all Azorean islands."

In his speech, Luís Neto Viveiros wished farmers, traders and exhibitors "every success" in the Rural Meeting World, which he considered to be "an opportunity for socialisation, learning, promotion of the rural world in its various forms and business." In this regard, the government official stressed the reinforcement made by the Regional Government to PROAMA.

"This is a regional programme that supports the modernisation of farms and agricultural production units by promoting its mechanisation, through a simple and quick process that farmers can apply to," said the government official.

This programme works as a complement to the new Rural Development Programme, PRORURAL +, which will run until 2020 with a budget of 340 million Euros, of which 295 million Euros concern European funds and the remaining 45 million Euros will be granted under the regional budget.

According to Luís Neto Viveiros, the program approved for this year by the European Commission "has been designed in order to support our farmers, our agricultural industry and our marketing to successfully overcome the current and future challenges we face."

"It aims to encourage the modernisation and mechanisation in the areas of animal and plant production, reinforce their competitiveness and contribute to the improvement of working conditions of our farmers as well as to the development of the rural world," said the government official.

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture also emphasised the awarding of the contract work for the construction of a Slaughter House on Faial this year, with an estimated budget of 5.5 million Euros.

With a completion period of 18 months, the tender for this contract works has already been launched by the Institute for Food and Agricultural Markets (IAMA). In addition to spaces for the slaughter process and the preparation of carcasses, the project also includes a cutting room, an industrial waste water treatment station and a unit for the preparation and storing of by-products and leftovers.