Regional Government honours commitment and guarantees POSEI payments to farmers without apportionments - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

The Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, paid today the POSEI EU aid without any cuts (apportionments) being applied, ensuring the full amount of funds through a financial allocation from the Regional Budget.

The measure fulfils a commitment publicly made by the President of the Regional Government and the President of the Azores Agricultural Federation during the opening of the 21st Micaelense Holstein-Friesian Breed Competition, ensuring stability, liquidity and predictability for Azorean producers.

With this regional financial effort, the Government is halting the application of apportionments that severely penalised the sector under previous socialist governments.

Without this supplement, funded by the Regional Budget for May, farmers would suffer drastic cuts to their income, receiving only 44% for the Cattle Slaughter Premium, 55% for Support for the Production of PDO and PGI Wines, and 90% for support for the Private Storage of "Island Cheese" and "São Jorge Cheese."

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, emphasised that “it is only fair that farmers are paid the full amounts of support without any apportionments.”

“This firm policy of safeguarding agricultural income is leading to growth in the Azorean agrifood sector, and it is all of us who live in the Region who benefit from the increased availability of food,” he noted.

The government official stressed that the investment in direct support for production has yielded very positive results, both in terms of the quantity and the nutritional value of regional products.

“This POSEI support is indirect support for consumers, as it ensures affordable food prices and short food supply chains, with all the benefits for human health and the environment that local production brings,” stated António Ventura.

It is important to remember that the end of co-payments has been an ongoing priority for the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition governments.

Between 2021 and 2024, the Regional Budget made available an average of €16 million per year as a financial supplement to POSEI to avoid these cuts, a structural effort which, in 2025, was matched by the State Budget.

Detailed information on the payments processed today, covering POSEI, PECP and PRORURAL+, has now been published. It is available for consultation on the official website of the Financing Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries (IFAP).