The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry announced today that the document containing the contributions from the Azores to the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2020 will be presented to the Legislative Assembly.
 
"In order to clarify any doubt about the Government's position, arguments and global vision on the future of CAP, I shall bring to this Assembly the contributions from the Region to the revision of the post-2020 CAP," said João Ponte. He spoke at the end of a debate on milk and dairy production in the Azores and the strategies after 2020.
 
The document results from the contributions received from several members of the Regional Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, with special emphasis on those provided by the Azores Agricultural Federation. It defends the need for a stronger CAP in order to better respond to the challenges of the regional agricultural sector.
 
João Ponte has had the opportunity to deliver the document to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and to the Office of the European Commissioner for Agriculture in Brussels.
 
The government official mentioned that there are challenges to overcome in the present and after 2020, stressing the ability of farmers to resist and continue to produce with quality, even in times of crisis.
 
The Regional Secretary also reiterated that the Government of the Azores is working in collaboration with associations and cooperatives to prepare the strategy that will provide the best response to the dairy sector at all moments.
 
"The Plan and Budget, the Programme of the Government, PRORURAL +, POSEI and the different regional support programmes to support the sector clearly reflect our strategy for the future of agriculture in the Azores," said João Ponte. According to him, it should also improve the farmers' income and ensure the sustainability of the sector.
 
According to João Ponte, quality, innovation, new markets and improvement are more than just buzzwords. Indeed, they are challenges for which all agents must be mobilised and to which the next CAP should respond.