Azores: Agricultural Federation says proposal for 2027 is “worst in 20 years”

A The Azores Agricultural Federation (FAA) gave a negative opinion to the pre-proposal of the region's Investment Plan for 2027, considering it the worst of the last 20 years, President Jorge Rita announced.

“ The opinion of the federation, objectively and clearly and without restrictions on the comment, is negative, because it does not make any sense to reduce by 29% the amount of EUR 21 million in agriculture. It is the biggest reduction ever in the history of plans and budgets”, said at a press conference in Angra do Heroismo, on Terceira Island.

According to Jorge Rita, the preliminary investment plan proposal for 2027, presented by the Azorean executive (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), includes a sum of 51.7 million euros for the sector, when in 2026 the amount reached 72 million euros.

The President of the Agricultural Federation classified the plan as “weak and ill-conceived”, claiming that it “clearly harms agriculture”.

“Perhaps, for me, it was the worst Plan and Budget presented in the last 20 years in the Autonomous Region of Azores. I am not just saying in the total amount, but in the expectation that we had, in view of the increase in inflation, costs, the needs that the sector currently has,” he stressed.

In addition to a 21% reduction in support for industry associations and 50% in investments in agricultural roads and water and light supply infrastructures, Jorge Rita warned of the risk of not implementing the funds of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (PEPAC), which ends in 2028.

“ We already have several approved projects and regional participation has to be there. It is 15% for aid coming from the European Union and it is not included in that plan at all in any of this aid,” he warned.

According to the representative of the farm, there may be EUR 24 million of Community funds, especially for the installation of young farmers and the modernisation of farms.

The president of the federation also regretted the lack of measures to cope with a possible worsening of production costs in the sector, warning that 2027 will be “worse than 2026”.

“ If we have an increasingly complicated situation here, the regional government has nothing proactively. Either you wait for the Government of the Republic to help or the European Union to help. And I see little sensitivity from the Government of the Republic,” he said.

Asked about the Azorean executive’s justification that there is a decrease in funds as a result of the end of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), Jorge Rita said it was “a misleading way” to present the numbers.

“The PRR for Agriculture was 34 million euros, 10 million for industries. Directly for farmers did not reach 4.5 million ", pointed out.

The president of the federation stressed that farmers cannot “accept at all” the reductions provided for in the preliminary proposal, but did not advance with other forms of protest.

“ Obviously we have to show our indignation and dissatisfaction with the proposal that remains. If there is no change, clearly the Regional Government knows that it will have a very important social partner in the Autonomous Region of the Azores”, he said.

Jorge Rita said he had “hope that there will be good sense on the part of the Regional Government”, noting that if the executive makes “cashing” for Agriculture in January, farmers may raise the tone of the protest.

“ We do everything we need to do to defend farmers in the Azores and the Federation will be available for whatever farmers want,” he said.

The criticisms of the president of the Azores Agricultural Federation also extended to the central government and members of the Assembly of the Republic elected by the region.

Jorge Rita insisted that in 2023 Azorean farmers were victims of a “brutal discrimination” of the Government of the Republic, in the allocation of funds to mitigate the effects of the war on Ukraine.

Since then, Azorean farming claims a support of 23 million euros that, despite the “commitments” of the current executive, have not yet been transferred and are not foreseen in the proposal for a State Budget for 2027.

“ Where are the regional Members on this matter? Where is this discussion? Where is the Regional Government?” he questioned.

As for the EUR 3 million announced by the Government of the Republic in June to mitigate the effects of increasing the costs of fertilizers and other production factors, and which have already been the subject of resolutions by the Regional Government, they also remain “grounded in the papers,” he said.