Competences - Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food

Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food

The organisational structure of the XIII Regional Government of the Azores, approved by Regional Regulatory Decree No 28/2020/A of 10 December 2020, reflects the choices made for the governance of the Azores, in particular by expressing strategic guidelines based on the public policies of the XIII Regional Government.

It defines the responsibilities of the departments of the XIII Regional Government of the Azores, in particular, in Article 12, the responsibilities of the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development:

Article12

Responsibilities of the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development shall exercise his powers in the following areas:

(a) agriculture, livestock and rurality;

(b) agricultural, livestock and rural diversification and sustainability;

(c) rural development;

(d) the enhancement and promotion of regional agro-rural production;

(e) agro-rural training, research and dissemination;

(f) management and enhancement of forest and game resources.

In addition, Regional Regulatory Decree No 28/2020/A of 10 December 2020 provides that the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development is to be located in the town of Horta.

The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for the following bodies:

The Regional Directorate for Agriculture (DRAg) is the department of the Regional Secretariat and Rural Development which is responsible for contributing to the definition of public policies in the area of agriculture and livestock.

In addition to carrying out training, awareness-raising and scientific studies each year, the DRAg is pursuing the monitoring, promotion and improvement of the quality of Azorean agricultural production, promoting agricultural diversification, organic farming, animal and plant health, as well as veterinary public hygiene.

It is also responsible for the following services: Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Regional Laboratory for Plant Health and Regional Laboratory of Enology.

The Regional Directorate for Rural Development (DRDR) is involved in a diverse subject which is strictly related to the rural areas of our territory.

This Regional Directorate is responsible for defining policies relating to agriculture and livestock, rural development, diversification, processing and valorisation of regional production, agricultural training and rural extension, management and enhancement of forest and game resources.

It is therefore responsible for the management, guidance, coordination and implementation of policies focusing on agricultural and forestry productivity and the economic development of these activities, in line with the Community Agricultural Policy, through the implementation and management of the Community Support Programmes for Agriculture and Rural Development in our Region.

The Regional Directorate for Forestry Resources (DRRF) is the operational service of the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development, which is responsible for assisting the Regional Secretary in defining the policy on planning, protection, development and use of forest, game and fish resources in the inland waters of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

The main task of the DRRF is to ensure the rational use of the region’s forest and natural resources by coordinating, monitoring and technically guiding forest exploitation, while promoting studies aimed not only at the genetic improvement of existing forest species but also at the use of new species that will diversify the Azorean forest.

On the other hand, the DRRF also has the task of maintaining and improving rural and forestry road networks, thus facilitating the entry of inputs and the exit of farm products.

Finally, the DRRF is also responsible for managing the game and fish resources of the inland waters of the Region, taking measures to ensure the rational use of these resources while ensuring that these species are preserved.

DRRF has operational services (Forest Services) on all islands in the archipelago.

The Institute for Food and Agricultural Markets (IAMA), set up in the Autonomous Region of the Azores in 1986, is a regional public body with legal personality and administrative, financial and asset autonomy, forming part of the regional administration, under the supervision of the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development, operating throughout the Region.

IAMA is responsible, inter alia, for carrying out checks and monitoring the conditions for granting Community, national and regional aid, monitoring the development of agricultural markets in the marketing and processing of agricultural and livestock products, and implementing regional policy under certain quality schemes provided for in the applicable regulations.

IAMA is also responsible for supervising and managing the regional slaughter network and classifying milk for production.

IROA is a société Anónima developing the Azores by promoting agriculture.

It builds agricultural infrastructure to increase the income and improve the quality of life of our farmers.

It supports farmers in purchasing land, with a view to scaling up and consolidating agricultural land. 

The management, management and management staff of the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development were approved and published by Regional Regulatory Decree No 13/2021/A of 5 July 2006 and corrected by Corrigendum No 10/2021/A of 12 July 2009.

Tasks of SRADR: 

(a) designing, developing, coordinating and implementing regional policy in the areas under its 

guardianship, focusing on environmental, economic and social sustainability and making full use of 

the potential of the Autonomous Region of the Azores;

(b) promoting the sustainability and competitiveness of the agricultural, agri-food and forestry sectors and boosting rural areas by supporting the modernisation and structural strengthening of rural areas. 

sectors and enhancing their capacity to adapt to present and future societal challenges;

(c) to promote and boost research, development and innovation activities that contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of the means of production and the quality and valorisation of 

regional products;

(d) promoting information, awareness raising, education and training in the fields under its responsibility;

(e) planning, designing, managing and monitoring programmes and projects for which they are responsible, 

financed or co-financed by Community financial instruments and related to 

areas under its responsibility;

(f) to promote proper adaptation to the regional specificities of Community policies, 

in particular common policies in the fields of agriculture and rural development;

(g) ensure the protection, quality and safety of agricultural production, in particular 

in the areas of animal protection and animal health, plant protection and plant health;

(h) ensure cooperation with public and private, regional, national and international entities in the areas under its responsibility;

(I) to promote inspection, audit and surveillance of agriculture and forestry. 

Organic structure

The following bodies and services operate under the responsibility of the Regional Secretary: 

Consultative bodies

Regional Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development;

Central executive services:
(I) the Planning Office;
(II) Regional Directorate for Agriculture;
(III) Regional Directorate for Rural Development;
(IV) Regional Directorate for Forestry Resources;
(c) ancillary executive services:
(I) Agricultural Development Services of the Islands of São Miguel, Terceira, Pico, Faial, São Jorge,
Santa Maria, Graciosa, Flores and Corvo;
(II) Forest Services of the islands of Santa Maria, São Miguel, which are part
of the Ponta Delgada and Northeast Forest Services, Terceira, Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa, Flores and Corvo.