The Regional Director for Rural Development sated on São Miguel that the future of agriculture in the Azores involves the continuous investment in the modernisation of farms so that Azorean products may increasingly become a reference inside and outside the country.
 
"The Government's strategy regarding the future of agriculture is to continuing focusing on the improvement of farms by providing them with better infrastructures so that the quality of Azorean products may increasingly become a reference not only in the internal market but also in the foreign market," said Fernando Sousa. He spoke during the debate on "The future of agriculture" under the Azores Burning Summer festival in Porto Formoso.
 
The Regional Director also pointed out that the future of Azorean agriculture should take into account the need to contribute to the improvement of farmers' income by helping them, for example, to sell good Azorean products in new markets.
 
Fernando Sousa stressed that agricultural production in the archipelago "respects the environment and nature"; for that reason, farmers are able to get "exceptional agricultural products."
 
The investment on organic production is an international trend to which the Azores are attentive. In this regard, Fernando Sousa stressed that the Region is outlining a regional strategy towards organic production.
 
"Currently, the Region already has organisations that have joined forces to adopt organic farming methods and this is very beneficial for the Azores," Fernando Sousa said, adding that that five years is, on average, the time that a project of this kind takes to be fully consolidated.
 
The Regional Director pointed out that, in the cases of animal husbandry, the conversion to organic practices takes about six months. However, as regards to pastures, it may take between 18 and 24 months.