The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry restated that the Government is preparing a proposal for the revision of PRORURAL+ to be submitted to the European Union. It is intended to open new applications to extensive livestock farming maintenance for farmers who ended their commitments in 2016.
 
The request to the European Commission aims to increase the funding of this measure by transferring funds from other measures under PRORURAL+ with lower approval and execution rates. Hence, it will ensure the support to 231 Azorean farmers who submitted application for the 2012-2016 period and whose commitments ended in the last year.
 
The decision of the Government takes into account the high number of applications under this PRORURAL+ measure that have exceeded expectations. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the respective appropriations so that these producers may maintain the extensive system in their farms as well as the same level profitability and sustainability.
 
This decision, which had already publicly announced on January 26, is now restated in view of the clarification requested by Island Council of Flores and a late request on the matter delivered at the Legislative Assembly by a member of PSD. This request ignores what the Government has stated on the subject.
 
Thus, the Regional Government refuses any negligence on this matter and is surprised at the considerations made by the members of PSD, as they do not correspond to the truth and raise unnecessary alarm among the Flores farmers.
 
The measures already taken clearly evidence the Government's attention to this matter and the fact that it is already working on the amendment to PRORURAL + programme, which will soon submitted for approval at the European Commission. The Government goes further and also calls for a reinforcement of the measures directed to organic farming, taking into account the continuous growth of this mode of production in the Azores.
 
The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry also clarifies the Island Council of Flores Island on the compensation provided to farmers with cattle affected by BVD (Bovine Viral Disease).
 
The eradication of this disease is crucial to the success of farms. In this context, the slaughter of persistently infected animals, along with other measures, such as vaccination and implementation of biosecurity measures should be regarded as a preventive measure against the disease.
 
The slaughter of infected calves should be considered by farmers as their stay on farms will bring higher costs. This situation increases the burden on the breeding and treatment of unhealthy animals and the risk of spreading the disease on the farm.
 
Given the rigorous application of funds, it does not make sense to channel funds to compensate for animals without productive conditions.
 
Moreover, these animals may benefit from a slaughter premium amounting to 75 Euros if the age is less than eight months. The premium is set at 105 Euros when the age is between eight and 12 months.
 
One should note that some of these animals may survive up to two years or more and may become breeders and, thus, pass on the virus. These animals represent an investment of farmers insofar as their breeding is expected to generate income. Hence, the Ordinance no. 56/2016 of June 21 provides for the allocation of subsidy amount to 400 Euros to farmers who own female dairy cows aged over 12 months. Likewise, it also sets a subsidy amounting to 700 Euros in the case of female specimens that had more than one birth by the time of laboratory diagnosis or primiparous heifers proven pregnant upon post-mortem inspection.
 
In addition to these figures, we should take into consideration the value of the marketing of meat, both in the case of male and female specimens, as these animals are fit for human consumption.