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Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação
Press release - livestock transport
Press release - livestock transport
Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação
"We are achieving new and better results in Azorean agriculture" – António Ventura
"We are achieving new and better results in Azorean agriculture" – António Ventura
Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação
António Ventura recalls strategic importance of Vine and Wine Institute and wishes new management every success
António Ventura recalls strategic importance of Vine and Wine Institute and wishes new management every success
June 4, 2025
Press release - livestock transport
June 3, 2025
"We are achieving new and better results in Azorean agriculture" – António Ventura
June 3, 2025
António Ventura recalls strategic importance of Vine and Wine Institute and wishes new management every success
News
Nota de Imprensa
June 4, 2025
Press release - livestock transport
The Regional Government would like to point out the following regarding the transport of livestock from the islands of Pico and Graciosa: - The shipping company Transinsular will depart from São Miguel to Pico on Friday, June 6, with 20 empty containers for loading livestock; - The vessel is expected to arrive on Monday, June 9; - The GSLines vessel Laura S will be on the island of Pico on Thursday, June 12, to collect the 20 loaded containers bound for Lisbon and leave another 10 empty containers; - These 10 containers will be collected the following week by the shipping company Mutualista. - Livestock will be transported from Graciosa on a container load scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, bound for Lisbon, where it is expected to be unloaded on June 16.
June 4, 2025
Press release - livestock transport
The Regional Government would like to point out the following regarding the transport of livestock from the islands of Pico and Graciosa: - The shipping company Transinsular will depart from São Miguel to Pico on Friday, June 6, with 20 empty containers for loading livestock; - The vessel is expected to arrive on Monday, June 9; - The GSLines vessel Laura S will be on the island of Pico on Thursday, June 12, to collect the 20 loaded containers bound for Lisbon and leave another 10 empty containers; - These 10 containers will be collected the following week by the shipping company Mutualista. - Livestock will be transported from Graciosa on a container load scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, bound for Lisbon, where it is expected to be unloaded on June 16.
Nota de Imprensa
June 3, 2025
"We are achieving new and better results in Azorean agriculture" – António Ventura
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, recalled today during a parliamentary debate that the coalition governments are achieving "new and better results in regional agriculture," with cooperatives serving as "social identity and commercial hubs." Such entities, he said, "are partial instruments for addressing the small size of the territory and population" of the Azores as well as the geographical dispersion and distance from large markets. "We all know that cooperatives, especially in the Azores, protect the weakest by congregating production, creating synergies and obtaining gains in sales prices. They provide commercial stability and produce unique EU-certified products such as butter, cheese and beef. In the Azores, cooperatives have been true social and economic buffers, minimising the impacts of financial and health crises," stated the government official. In 2023, about 56% of the milk produced in the Region was processed by the cooperative sector, representing 57% of the turnover of the dairy industry, which amounts to over 242 million Euros, he added. He continued: "When we began our term, we took over financial commitments to cooperatives amounting to 3.5 million Euros from socialist governments. Some were six years behind in payment. These cooperatives had not received what had been agreed upon for six years." In this regard, the coalition governments opened applications for food promotion and safety through an annual Government Council Resolution for cooperatives processing PDO and PGI-certified Community products, with support amounting to 13.2 million Euros over four years. "We have opened several investment support periods under PRORURAL+ and RRP for agro-industries amounting to 46.4 million Euros, benefiting 51 agro-industries. This is the largest sum made available and the largest number of agro-industries benefiting since PRORURAL was created in 2015. We have ended the apportionment of POSEI Programme support for cheese storage, totalling more than 800 thousand Euros," he added. In addition, applications were opened for the hiring of technicians in cooperatives, agro-industries and other companies in the areas of dairy farming, beef farming, viticulture, beekeeping, horticulture, fruit growing and floriculture, amounting to one million fifty Euros. "We have recently created a working group to review the legal status of cooperatives. A measure has been established in PEPAC (Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan) to support producers' organisations," stressed António Ventura. The Regional Secretary acknowledged that "some cooperatives still need to overcome weaknesses, starting with improving the professionalism of their management." Indeed, rising raw material prices, market uncertainties, labour shortages and the replacement of obsolete equipment have hampered the recovery of cooperatives. Regarding bank debt, the debt of five dairy cooperatives that received Government guarantees amounting to 28 million Euros in 2013 and 2018 is at 17.5 million Euros as of December 31, 2024, a reduction of 10.5 million Euros. According to our calculations, the total debt of dairy cooperatives in the Region currently stands at around 63.5 million Euros, a decrease from 2020, when it was around 68 million Euros," he added. He concluded: "It is important to note that many cooperatives, due to the implementation of effective professional management, have been undertaking outstanding efforts both in reducing debt and in adding value to their products."
June 3, 2025
"We are achieving new and better results in Azorean agriculture" – António Ventura
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, recalled today during a parliamentary debate that the coalition governments are achieving "new and better results in regional agriculture," with cooperatives serving as "social identity and commercial hubs." Such entities, he said, "are partial instruments for addressing the small size of the territory and population" of the Azores as well as the geographical dispersion and distance from large markets. "We all know that cooperatives, especially in the Azores, protect the weakest by congregating production, creating synergies and obtaining gains in sales prices. They provide commercial stability and produce unique EU-certified products such as butter, cheese and beef. In the Azores, cooperatives have been true social and economic buffers, minimising the impacts of financial and health crises," stated the government official. In 2023, about 56% of the milk produced in the Region was processed by the cooperative sector, representing 57% of the turnover of the dairy industry, which amounts to over 242 million Euros, he added. He continued: "When we began our term, we took over financial commitments to cooperatives amounting to 3.5 million Euros from socialist governments. Some were six years behind in payment. These cooperatives had not received what had been agreed upon for six years." In this regard, the coalition governments opened applications for food promotion and safety through an annual Government Council Resolution for cooperatives processing PDO and PGI-certified Community products, with support amounting to 13.2 million Euros over four years. "We have opened several investment support periods under PRORURAL+ and RRP for agro-industries amounting to 46.4 million Euros, benefiting 51 agro-industries. This is the largest sum made available and the largest number of agro-industries benefiting since PRORURAL was created in 2015. We have ended the apportionment of POSEI Programme support for cheese storage, totalling more than 800 thousand Euros," he added. In addition, applications were opened for the hiring of technicians in cooperatives, agro-industries and other companies in the areas of dairy farming, beef farming, viticulture, beekeeping, horticulture, fruit growing and floriculture, amounting to one million fifty Euros. "We have recently created a working group to review the legal status of cooperatives. A measure has been established in PEPAC (Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan) to support producers' organisations," stressed António Ventura. The Regional Secretary acknowledged that "some cooperatives still need to overcome weaknesses, starting with improving the professionalism of their management." Indeed, rising raw material prices, market uncertainties, labour shortages and the replacement of obsolete equipment have hampered the recovery of cooperatives. Regarding bank debt, the debt of five dairy cooperatives that received Government guarantees amounting to 28 million Euros in 2013 and 2018 is at 17.5 million Euros as of December 31, 2024, a reduction of 10.5 million Euros. According to our calculations, the total debt of dairy cooperatives in the Region currently stands at around 63.5 million Euros, a decrease from 2020, when it was around 68 million Euros," he added. He concluded: "It is important to note that many cooperatives, due to the implementation of effective professional management, have been undertaking outstanding efforts both in reducing debt and in adding value to their products."