Farmers in the Azores will benefit from support for the purchase of maize and sorghum seeds, worth 2.2 million euros, for fodder production, according to a decree published recently in the Official Journal, following a demand from the Azores Agricultural Federation that was accepted and put into practice by the Regional Government.

The period for submitting applications for support for purchasing maize and sorghum seeds for producing fodder or grain maize for 2024 runs from December 23 until February 7, 2025.

This support is granted in the form of a non-refundable subsidy, with the maximum amount to be given corresponding to 80% of the eligible amount of the purchase of maize and/or sorghum seeds, up to a limit of 265 euros per hectare in the case of maize and 145 euros per hectare in the case of sorghum.

In Regional Regulatory Decree no. 22/2024/A of December 10, the Regional Government determines that farmers who have purchased maize and/or sorghum seeds for cultivation this year are eligible for the aid.

Among other conditions, farmers who have submitted an application for support for 2024 to aid arable crop producers under the POSEI sub-program for the Azores are considered eligible.

According to the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Food, António Ventura, reducing costs and increasing the availability of animal feed is “crucial for the sustainability of the milk and meat sectors.”

This support is justified by the “persistent instability of agricultural markets and production factors,” as well as the “increasingly decisive impacts of climate change on agricultural production.”

The aim of adopting these measures is to encourage farmers to “adopt sustainable production practices that foster productivity gains and increased competitiveness” on their farms, increasing their “resilience to crises and contributing to regional food security,” says António Ventura.

These corn and sorghum crops are economically sustainable and environmentally beneficial, making them an “excellent alternative for rotation with the typical pastures of the Azores,” he continues.

This process guarantees “ease of storage in the form of silage, providing rapid and digestible energy for cattle throughout the year, reducing production costs,” the Regional Government points out in the diploma.

In addition, it adds that the production of fodder or grain corn plays a “fundamental role in reducing the region’s dependence on imports of animal feed” and in “the sector’s resilience to the effects of climate change.”

It is recalled that in 2022 and 2023, measures were already adopted to support the purchase of maize and sorghum seeds, with Community support, for the production of fodder or grain maize as a way of “mitigating the effects of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on agricultural markets.” It is important to “continue this support for the purchases of those seeds made during the year 2024”, this time, entirely regional support.

Support applications must be submitted, along with all the applicable documentation, to the island’s Agricultural Development Services or via the electronic form available at https://gestpdr.azores.gov.pt upon authentication by entering the identification password assigned for this purpose.

from Governo dos Açores-Press Release

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.