António Ventura praises RRP investment in improving quality of Azorean agriculture - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

In 2025, the Government of the Azores, through the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, organised over a hundred agricultural training courses, covering all the islands of the archipelago.

With an investment of over €244,000, funded under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), this strategic initiative was intended to strengthen skills, promote best practices and ensure the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the agrifood sector.

According to the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, the results achieved demonstrate that “investing in training is investing in the future of Azorean agriculture.”

The government official emphasised that “professional training is a fundamental tool for improving farm management, optimising resources and increasing productivity while adapting to current challenges.”

“Every action taken, every farmer trained and every young person made aware represents a firm step towards a more skilled, competitive and sustainable sector,” he highlighted. 

Organised by the Regional Directorate for Agriculture, Veterinary Affairs and Food (DRAVA), in collaboration with the Azores Agricultural Federation and other partner organisations, last year’s training programme comprised 106 training courses, totalling 2,201 hours of training.

The initiatives brought together more than 1,500 participants from a wide range of farms and focused on key areas for the modernisation of the agrifood sector.

Among the many topics covered, the following stood out: the sustainable use of plant protection products, animal welfare, precision farming, safety in agricultural work, waste management, the circular economy, organic farming, carbon farming, agroforestry systems, beekeeping, fruit growing, pastures and agricultural soils.

The programme also included innovative technical coaching sessions, with hundreds of on-site visits to farms to provide a personalised approach in the field.

Alongside technical training for producers, the Regional Secretariat focused on raising awareness within the school community, notably through the "From Farm to Table: Cultivating the Future!" workshops. It promoted 55 sessions held in 46 schools across the archipelago, actively involving 1,200 students. 

These sessions aimed to promote regional agricultural production, encourage healthy eating habits and strengthen closer ties between producers and consumers.

A new training plan is already underway for 2026, prioritising key areas such as the application and updating of plant protection products, the establishment of young farmers, organic farming methods, integrated rodent control and sustainable pasture management.

Reiterating the strategy of leveraging knowledge and innovation, António Ventura assured that his department will continue to work side by side with farmers, technicians, institutional partners and local communities.

“We thus reaffirm our commitment to modern, resilient and economically viable agriculture that respects the environment, values people and makes a decisive contribution to the sustainable development of the Autonomous Region of the Azores,” concluded the government official.