The Government of the Azores is working with the Ministry of Agriculture to make direct payments to farmers “as soon as all the necessary legal requirements are solved and verified.”
Noé Rodrigues spoke at the end of a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Antonio Serrano, in which the Government of the Azores reiterated the continuity of the milk quota system for European producers.
If the maintenance of this milk quota system is not possible, the Secretary considers that “a substitute which effectively regulates the milk and dairy market by adjusting the production capacity to the consumption capacity in Europe” should be found.
The need to approve Community legislation to maintain SINAGA as an agro-industry under analysis in order to diversify the production base of the Region, allowing the favourable access to the sugar beet market to continue as a sustainable and competitive company was
Noé Rodriguess also stressed other issues that were under analysis at this meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, particularly “the need for the authorities in charge of the management of the rural development programmes to meet in order to combine their activities to simplify procedures to speed up the payment of support to those who invest in the Azorean agriculture.”
Noé Rodrigues was pleased with the receptivity of António Serrano to the Region’s demands as the Government of the Republic will also defend the continuity of the milk quota system.