Regional Government is assessing impacts of EU-Mercosur free trade agreement on the beef sector
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated that the Regional Government is assessing the impacts on the beef sector, following the signing of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur (Southern Common Market), which encompasses Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.
"Despite all the work already done to monitor this matter, the Regional Government considered the importance of assessing, with the support of experts, the impacts of this free trade agreement in order to anticipate and find the best responses that will be aligned with our strategy for the promotion of Azorean meat," said João Ponte.
The government official stressed that the Regional Government has been implementing a modernisation strategy focused on genetics, animal welfare and meat enhancement, seeing that these key aspects have greatly helped boosting the sector and improving farmers' income.
"We can only win by investing in quality and differentiation. This is the path we must continue following in order to face an eventual increase in the entry of Mercosur meat into the Portuguese market," pointed out João Ponte. In this regard, he recalled all the work that has been done in the meat sector in terms of infrastructures as well as the efforts undertaken by producers.
The government official also stressed the importance of CERCA - Regional Strategy Centre for Azores Meat in the process of creating value for Azorean beef, starting with the study of the strategy for the promotion of the Azores meat.