The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Environment stated in Velas that the Government of the Azores will open the first tender to support investments in the agricultural sector on April 27, thus fulfilling the commitment to speed up the access of Azorean farmers to the public funds granted under PRORURAL+.

Luís Neto Viveiros spoke after a meeting with São Jorge Young Farmers' Association, held under the Statutory Visit of the Government to this island. The government official stressed that the tender comprises four of the incentive measures provided in the Rural Development Programme 2020, recently approved by the European Commission.

Representing a global public support of EUR 25.3 million Euros, the support measures comprise the following areas: Investment in Farms, Support to Processing, Marketing and Development of Agricultural Products, Improvement and Development of Infrastructures, and Installation of Young Farmers. The application period runs until May 31.

For the Regional Secretary, the publication of ordinances and the opening of this first tender allow the submission of "projects to the support measures for the modernisation of farms and the agricultural business sector."

The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Environment and the São Jorge Farmers' Association signed today a cooperation protocol for the screening of diseases in cattle.