NEW’S | Draft Plan and Budget for 2024 adjusted to needs of agricultural sector, stresses António Ventura

The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food announced this Saturday in Praia da Vitória that the draft Plan and Budget for 2024 includes a 13% increase for the sector, not only for the volume that regional agricultural exports have reached in recent years but also “for an adjustment to the needs and constraints of agriculture.”

“Compared to 2023, there is a 13% increase in the overall investment for the agricultural sector to ensure an adjustment to the needs and constraints of agriculture. We must not forget that we are still living through two wars, Covid-19 is still raging and there is inflation in interest rates, so numerous external situations are influencing farmers’ income,” he explained.

António Ventura spoke at the closing session of the 16th edition of the Praia da Vitória Agricultural Days, which took place in São Brás, where he also announced that the Agrifood Price Observatory is being set up and should deliver results starting in June.

“Ensuring the sustainability of production in the Region and a fair price for Azorean producers is one of the goals of this Plan,” he added.

“For the first time, sensors are being created on all the islands and municipalities to process this information and disseminate it publicly, so that people will be aware of the production costs on these islands. Additionally, they will also be aware of the processing and sales costs in a transparent manner that has never been achieved before,” he emphasised.

Also in the context of the Plan and Budget for 2024, the government official mentioned the “great concern” about “the degradation of agricultural roads and a heavy burden” of the past. As a result, “there has been a significant increase of about 20% in the component of interventions to be carried out by both the Regional Institute of Agrarian Planning-IROA and the Forestry Services.”

Regarding the POSEI revision planned for next year, the Regional Secretary pointed out that it “requires the Azores, as an outermost region, to be prepared to increase the financial allocation and reconsider a more qualitative support approach.”

GRA/RÁDIOILHÉU