The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry, João Ponte, has personally reiterated the Regional Government's invitation for the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, to visit the Azores, which may take place in 2018.
 
"I had the opportunity to greet the European Commissioner for Agriculture and to reiterate, on behalf of the Government of the Azores, the invitation to visit the archipelago. Phil Hogan expressed his willingness to make this visit in 2018," said João Ponte, who will attend the international conference on the future of food and agriculture in Brussels.
 
For the government official, this is a "very important" visit for the Azores, as an Outermost region. It will allow the European Commissioner for Agriculture to see "the progress registered in the sector, but also the difficulties and challenges" that Azorean farmers face, namely the climate, farm size, distance from markets and geographical dispersion.
 
"At the same time, Phil Hogan will be better understand the attention that the Azores pay to environmental and animal welfare issues," said João Ponte. At the session for the exchange of compliments with the European Commissioner, he was accompanied by the Coordinator of the Representation Office of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Brussels, Frederico Cardigos.
 
Phil Hogan attended the opening of the third edition of this annual conference, whose first day will be focused on the debate about the modernisation and simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In turn, the second day will be dedicated to the analysis of the most recent prospective report to 2030 on the markets for dairy products, meat and crops for the coming years.
 
The Azorean delegation is led by the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry, João Ponte, who is accompanied by the Regional Director for Rural Development, Fernando Sousa, and the president of the Azores Agricultural Federation, Jorge Rita.
 
The main concerns of the representatives of the Azores have to do with the need to ensure a smooth transition between Community support frameworks, a compatible budget that responds to the challenges of sustainable agriculture and guarantees fair income for farmers, and a fair income distribution in the food chain.
 
On the other hand, João Ponte defended that it is necessary to maintain the protection of outermost regions, like the Azores, in international trade agreements, such as the case of Mercosur; it is currently under negotiation.
 
The Azorean official stressed that the Azores welcome the European Commission's intention to simplify the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2020, although the goals to be defined in environmental terms and socio-economic convergence are still unknown.
 
"The Region is willing to accept further responsibility in the management of the next funds, because being closer to farmers allows us to better respond to their challenges and needs," said João Ponte.
 
The rejuvenation of the sector and the dignified retirement of elder farmers are other concerns of the Azorean delegation.
 
EU institutions, governments and international organisations, market experts, scholars and the civil society will take part in this conference.