The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and the Environment stated Friday that the Government of the Azores, "aware of the difficulties faced by milk producers," has already allocated five million Euros from the regional budget "to support this determinant sector" of Azorean economy.

Luís Neto Viveiros spoke in Arrifes at the delivery ceremony of the "Excellent Producer Prize 2014," an initiative promoted by the São Miguel Young Farmers' Association (AJAM). The government official emphasised that this amount "exceeds what every country received from Brussels under exceptional aid measures."

The Regional Secretary recalled that the European Commission has allocated 4.8 million Euros to Portugal. This amount was "distributed nationwide, but the Azores only received 1.5 million Euros in financial assistance."

In his speech, the government official also stressed that the Regional Government is also implementing a plan to "help overcoming the challenges the milk sector currently faces."

"We have created extraordinary measures that complement our development strategy," said Neto Viveiros. The Regional Secretary emphasised the "increase of the dairy cow premium on the islands of S. Miguel and Terceira so that all regional farmers may receive 190 Euros per cow in 2015 and 2016." he also mentioned the creation of the Restructuring Programme for the Dairy Sector.
 
"We are providing nearly 200 farmers with the possibility of retiring with dignity, while promoting the resizing and reparcelling of farms, and the continuous rejuvenation of the agricultural sector," stressed the government official.

The Secretary for Agriculture also stressed that another programme to support the financing of farms is being prepared in conjunction with the Azores Agricultural Federation. It provides the allocation of public funds to support the financial burden "associated with loans taken out by Azorean farmers under the modernisation of farms."

These measures boost the impact of several mechanisms already in force in the Region, such as AGROCRÉDITO, with an overall amount of 30 million Euros. It was created this year with the "aim of reinforcing the working capital of farms, through the subsidisation of interest rates."

For the Regional Secretary, "the Regional Government has created unprecedented conditions so that, contrary to what happened in Mainland Portugal, no young farmer will be forced to return Community funds due to cessation of activity."
 
"Today, we support our milk producers by investing in their future, that is, in the future of the main economic activity of the Region," said Luís Neto Viveiros. In this context, the government official praised the initiative of AJAM, which celebrates 10 years.

"We are here today to reward the excellence that should move us forward," the government official said, adding that "Azorean milk, which is the basis of the dairy industry, has characteristics of excellence."

For the Regional Secretary, "this is the added value we all have to promote."