Support for São Jorge cheese causes ‘war’ between islands in the Azores

Uthe initiatives were presented by the parliamentary leader of the CDS-PP, Luís Silveira, elected by the island of São Jorge, who defended specific support for the conversion of milk production to meat, due to the high amount of milk delivered in the dairy cooperatives of the island, which is already around 30 million liters per year.

"We argue that the conversion of milk production to meat production should be controlled, responsible and done in close liaison with the cooperative sector. We must find the necessary balance. We need to know what the production and transformation capacity of our cooperatives is", the centrist MP supported.

According to Luís Silveira, it is necessary to create support for the production of milking cows (meat cattle), given that dairy cooperatives cannot drain much of the cheese of São Jorge (which bears the status of Protected Designation of Origin – PDO), which is stored in factories due to market difficulties.

But most opposition parties believe that milk producers from the other islands should also benefit from this type of support, not just farmers from the island of São Jorge, who produce a value-added product that is already properly promoted and valued in the local, national and international market.

"To cover the structural or circumstantial problems that currently have the dairy sector of São Jorge, someone would have to keep their feet off. And that someone was all the other islands", said Francisco Lima, a Member of the People's Party, who claims that the aid for conversion should be extended to producers throughout the region.

Also Nuno Barata, Member of the Liberal Initiative, understands that it makes no sense to approve an exception only for the producers of that island: “create an exception for São Jorge, why!? It costs me even if the PSD and the PPM approve a resolution as specific as this!’

'This measure can lead to other producers in the same situation, raising their fingers, and rightly so, and say: Mr Secretary, I want to too!', said António Lima, Member of the Left Block, adding his voice of protest to that of the other opposition parties.

Isabel Teixeira, Member of the PS, also elected by São Jorge, acknowledged that milk production on that island is experiencing difficulties, but believes that the solution is not to create an exceptional regime for local farmers, but to allow for a conversion that covers other islands.

To try to calm the mood, regional Secretary of Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, assured in plenary that the Government agrees with the measure proposed by the CDS, but ensured that it will allow these aid for conversion to reach the producers of other islands: “the Regional Government accepts and will implement the recommendation, in the context of a conversion, as already done in Graciosa, Terceira and São Miguel, opening in São Jorge and other islands”.

The centrist proposal ended up with only the votes of the three coalition parties, while the PS, BE and IL abstained and the CH and PAN voted against.

In addition to the proposal of the CDS, the PSD also presented an initiative, which advocates the allocation of support to the promotion of São Jorge cheese, in international markets, which again generated some dispute among the opposition parties.

"Considering that the São Jorge cheese chain currently has a higher than usual stock volume, this reality requires a strategic effort to promote and market it, in addition to opening new markets, in order to ensure the effective disposal of production," said Paulo Silveira, Social Democrat MEP.

The PSD proposal was approved by almost all parties with parliamentary seats, except CH, PAN, and IL, who voted against.