As in Pico and Graciosa, Terceira has the worst grape production prospects.
The Adega Cooperativa dos Biscoitos producers held their grape harvest last weekend. According to the president, Cecílio Faustino, no more than two tons of grapes were collected.
“It was still less than half compared to last year. Around two tons, very little for the winery,” he says.
Adega Cooperativa dos Biscoitos has already requested a meeting with the regional secretaries responsible for Agriculture and the Environment to discuss this and other issues.
“The important thing was to adopt, more or less, what happened last year, which wasn’t one of the best years. Calculate what each producer had last year and give 80 to 90%. There are people who worked all year and hardly picked any grapes,” he stresses.
For now, there is some discouragement among winegrowers, says Cecílio Faustino. “People in general don’t have the reality of what wine and winemaking is, what the wind does, the rains, the damage caused by geckos, blackbirds…”, he lamentsThe quality is ‘excellent’, but the weather conditions that were felt in decisive months damaged production.
At the end of July, the president of Adega Cooperativa dos Biscoitos estimated a drop of around 50% in grape production. In the Azores, the Regional Wine Commission (CVR) put the drop at over 30%.

The vineyards were damaged this year largely by bad weather conditions. “Our Central group, especially Terceira, got a lot of cyclonic winds. Then came the dust from the Sahara, it rained a lot, then it was sunny… The mildew attacked in force,” said Cecílio Faustino.
“This year will not be good compared to last year, which was considered reasonable after three very bad years,” he said.
In terms of the species that affect the vineyards, he argued that a hunting approach should be adopted for birds such as doves, pigeons, blackbirds, and sparrows.
Last year, Adega Cooperativa dos Biscoitos produced more than five tons.

In Diário Insular-José Lourenço-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.