The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated that the proposal for the new legal scheme on the cessation of agricultural activity in the Azores was presented today to the Agricultural Federation for the collection of contributions. According to him, it is more attractive than the one currently in force and it is expected to meet the needs of the agricultural sector.
 
"This is a document with multiple purposes. It defends, first and foremost, the creation of better conditions for the retirement of older farmers with dignity, but also encourages the rejuvenation of agriculture, the downsizing and consolidation of farms as well as the diversification of agricultural activity," said João Ponte. The government official spoke in Ponta Delgada at the end of a meeting with the President of the Azores Agricultural Federation, Jorge Rita.
 
João Ponte pointed out that the new scheme proposes a reduction of the retirement age from 60 to 58 and increases the annual aid to beneficiary farmers by 10%. This adds up to the payment of supplementary land parcelling and agricultural diversification premiums, whose maximum amount increased from 1,500 to 2,500 Euros.
 
The aid to the cessation of agricultural activity, set at 7,300 Euros per year, is intended for farmers between the ages of 58 and 64. Eligible beneficiaries are required to have been engaged in farming activities for at least 20 years and to have been active as agricultural producers in the last 10 years, in addition to being duly registered in the Social Security.
 
The Regional Secretary also mentioned that this financial aid will be paid to farmers until they reach the legal retirement age to apply for old age pension.
 
João Ponte added that the conditions of eligibility were also changed under the new scheme in order to encourage the economic feasibility of new farms. It should be noted that the three-year period in which beneficiaries were required to practise farming as main occupation was abolished. With the new rules, they are solely required to have a farm with a minimum area of four hectares in the case of livestock farms and one hectare for the remaining farms.