The government of the Azores announced this Wednesday that it is available to support farmers affected by the ongoing drought. They also highlighted that this year, the region set a record in the area of corn production for livestock feed.
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The Secretary of Agriculture and Food, António Ventura while talking to the media said that the Azorean executive (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) is ready to provide extraordinary support to farmers. He mentioned that this support would be similar to what was done in April following climatic adversities.
António Ventura told the media.
Whenever there is a phenomenon that is beyond the producer’s control and that affects their management and farm planning and, therefore, their income, governments exist for that purpose. It is not the producer’s responsibility. It is someone else’s responsibility.
Agricultural associations across different islands have been warning about the effects of the drought on production because the Azores were under a yellow weather warning, the least severe on a scale of three, for several days this month.
This was due to the hot weather, with maximum temperatures reaching 29 to 30 degrees Celsius and minimums ranging from 21 to 23 degrees. Such temperatures are unusual for the Azores islands.
Rising Temperatures Cause Concern for Water Reserves
The regional secretary highlighted that he is monitoring the situation with the Agricultural Federation of the Azores because they believe that the drought could compromise the water reserves of the region. He highlighted.
[The drought] is not manifesting itself in the same way on all the islands. The drought is not so much due to the lack of water. It is more due to the increase in temperature, which is leading to greater water consumption by animals. As a result, we risk going into the red in our water reserves.
António further explained that the islands of Pico, São Jorge, and Graciosa are experiencing the most severe situations. He promised to monitor the situation to avoid speculation on food prices saying:
We are monitoring how the drought is affecting food availability for animals, now and in the future, since producers are already using reserves now that were for the winter.
Azores Break Record in Corn Production for Livestock Feed
The minister, who spoke after a visit to the experimental field of the São Miguel Agricultural Association in Ribeira Grande, announced that the Azores recorded a record in the area of forage corn production this year. This achievement is particularly significant as the corn is primarily used for feeding cows. He minister revealed:
This year we broke a new record in corn production in the Azores. We have around 14 thousand hectares of corn. It is a record. Which means that we are becoming more independent in the production of this energy, corn.
Ventura praised the exemplary work of the São Miguel Agricultural Association in experimenting with types of corn. He recalled that the support of the Azores executive in the purchase of corn allowed the producer to choose the type of seed adjusted to his farm.
It is through corn that we obtain energy to feed cattle, whether for milk or meat production. It is an increasingly essential food. This energy needs to be adjusted to counter-cyclical situations, such as climate change or military conflicts that lead to higher prices.
The president of the Agricultural Federation of the Azores stated today that drought in the archipelago is affecting all the islands. In some cases, it is a very worrying situation, particularly due to the lack of water for animals.
