The President of the Government of the Azores, Vasco Cordeiro, defended today a "strong partnership" between the production, processing and marketing sectors in order to help the Region overcoming the challenges arising from the end of the milk quota system.

"It is important to become aware that these challenges cannot be overcome without a strong partnership and, I would even say, without the complicity between the production, processing and marketing sectors. There is no other way! The evolution of this industry is clearly based on these three pillars. If one fails, the sector will not be able to move forward," said Vasco Cordeiro.

Speaking at the presentation of the "Happy Cows' Milk - Pure Pasture Milk" programme, promoted by BEL Portugal, the President of the Government defended that the climate of partnership and cooperation is important as the complexity of the current times and the tension they put on the relation between these three components.

"We believe that an attitude to sacrifice many in order to save a few, as it happens in the dairy sector, belongs to the past. Such attitudes seem to forget the existence of interdependence networks that require extra care, particularly with regard to challenges we currently face," Vasco Cordeiro stressed, pointing out that this applies to São Miguel, Terceira or any other island of the archipelago.

For the President of the Government, the sustainability of the Azorean production model, one of its greatest assets, cannot be separated from the social responsibility and sustainability of the entire sector as well as from the behaviour of the parties concerned.

In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro also stressed that everyone must face the end of the quotas system not as an inevitability without a possible answer, but as an opportunity to make the Azores strive in a different market.

"The Government of the Azores continues to fight against the decision taken by the European Union, which, as it stands, does not take into account the specificities of Outermost Regions' economies, such as the Azores," Vasco Cordeiro said, assuring that the Government intends to maintain this position with Community authorities.

Hence, the Government of the Azores will include the discussion of this important issue in the agenda of the 20th Conference of Presidents of Outermost Regions, an event that will take place in French region of Guadalupe on February 5 and 6.

"We defend that the POSEI program should grant an additional financial envelope to the dairy sector of Outermost Regions in order to offset the impact of the liberalisation of markets. We should also take into consideration that the major producing countries, unlike Portugal, have the capacity to create compensation mechanisms for the effects of milk price drop on producers," announced the President of the Government.

Moreover, Vasco Cordeiro pointed out that the Government's efforts in this matter are not limited to the external component, as we have developed consistent efforts with all parties in the sector that were able to efficiently use the resources and mechanisms provided by the Region over the past years.
"Between 2007 and 2013, the investments made in the modernisation of Azorean farms represented a total amount of 80 million Euros," revealed Vasco Cordeiro. The President of the Government reminded that a significant volume of Community funds was directed to the sector, which has generated an investment over 90 million Euros in the modernisation of agribusiness.

"These efforts did not neglect the component of agricultural infrastructures, namely the supply of power and water to farms as well as the creation of access roads. The Government of the Azores wants to continue developing this component because it was aware that more has to be done," said Vasco Cordeiro.

In this context, the Government has included investments for this legislative period exceeding 30 million Euros in the Regional Public Works Charter. These investments will contribute to the improvement of quality and reinforce the competitiveness of farms by reducing production costs.

In order to assert the values and the quality of the Azores, within and outside the Region, the President of the Government announced that the Council of the Government to be held on Faial will approve this week the strategy for the implementation, visual identity and signature of a single brand for the entire regional production - the "Azores" brand. Its aim is to become a global brand of reference that will bring added value to Azorean products and services, increasing their competitiveness in the markets where they will become available.

"However, all this work will only be effective if we make a decisive change in this sector. We should become aware of our size in an open market and realise that we will only gain ground if we invest in differentiated products in terms of quality," said Vasco Cordeiro.