The President of the Government stressed the importance of Azorean agriculture at national level, pointing out the specific case of regional milk, meat and cheese productions in the context of national production.
 
Under the Government's working visit to São Miguel, Vasco Cordeiro visited the Bovine Fattening and Finishing Centre of the Agricultural Union Cooperative. Created in 2008, it currently has about 1,000 animals, the vast majority being of the Angus beef breed.
 
"This centre supplies between 20-25 percent of the Angus beef marketed by one of the major national distribution groups. As for milk, we produce about 36 percent of the national milk. In regard to cheese production, we have reached 50 percent," said the President of the Government.
 
In view of these data, the Region is "one of the major national partners in the agricultural sector," Vasco Cordeiro stressed, noting that it is up to the Government to create "increasingly solid foundations for the development of this activity and the improvement of farmers' income."
 
Following the visit to the Agricultural Union Cooperative, the President of the Government underlined the importance of Crossbreeding Incentive Programme, which allows producers to boost cattle production and, consequently, increase their income.
 
This strategy also includes improvements in regional slaughter network to "respond to the very evident decrease in the export of live cattle and the significant increase of carcass exports," said the government official.
 
In 2007, about 17 thousand live animals were exported from the island of São Miguel, while only 200 live animals were exported in 2017.
 
Last year, more than 67,000 animals were slaughtered in the Region, of which more than 55 percent were for export.
 
"The right path is being followed in this partnership that reconciles the ability of farmers to manage their farms and seize all opportunities to improve their income, the intervention of entities such as the Agricultural Union Cooperative in this process, and the Government in the provision of a regional slaughter network that duly responds" to the needs of the sector, stressed Vasco Cordeiro.
 
In this context, "there are ongoing investments in São Miguel Slaughterhouse, the new Faial Slaughterhouse has already been opened, the new Graciosa Slaughterhouse is in the process of being completed and we are working on the São Jorge Slaughterhouse," added the President of the Government.