All the municipalities of Monchique and São Brás de Alportel, as well as parishes in the municipalities of Aljezur, Loulé, Portimão, Silves and Tavira, classified as "vulnerable territories", will be "privileged target of policy intervention within the framework" of the application of the aid from the new Common Agricultural Policy (PAC), which is under discussion in the European Union, announced this Wednesday the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Rui Martinho was speaking during an online session that served to ratify the protocol between the Regional Agriculture Directorate of the Algarve and the Municipality of Monchique, for the installation, in a land next to this town, of a Pêro de Monchique demonstration field and a replica of the fruit tree collection existing at the Tavira Agrarian Experimentation Center.
"There are regions in the country that, due to various vicissitudes, have been suffering an erosion of the presence of agriculture in their territories and that have also received little support in the framework of CAP aid," the secretary of State began by saying, to announce, «almost first hand», that «in the very short term, it won't take many weeks, a Resolution of the Council of Ministers will be published that will take a new look», with «concrete and adapted measures» to the country's parishes classified as “vulnerable territories ”.
"The Ministry of Agriculture has assumed these territories as a privileged target for policy intervention within the framework of the CAP, which will translate, among other things, into a very serious commitment to strengthening the weight of these regions in accessing CAP aid," added the official .
In addition to the municipality of Monchique, which «is fully included in these territories», in the Algarve they were also considered “vulnerable territories” to fire, through the Ordinance No. 301/2020 of December 24o, the parishes of Aljezur (Aljezur), Salir (Loulé), Mexilhoeira Grande (Portimão), Silves, and also Cachopo, Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, Union of Parishes of Conceição and Cabanas de Tavira, Union of Parishes of Tavira (Santa Maria and Santiago), all in Tavira.
Rui André, Mayor of Monchique, during the same online session, had already pointed out that, perhaps because of the pandemic, “we are witnessing a return to the rural, forestry and agricultural world of a population that, until now, lived a lot only in the cities".
On the other hand, there is also a movement towards «buying what is ours, from the local producer», even to reduce the «environmental footprint». The Monchique City Council itself, underlined the mayor, has been trying to promote ways to "streamline short circuits" and "enhance endogenous products", namely by encouraging restaurants in the mountains to buy local products. «Shyly we managed to create small dynamics here».
But, underlined the mayor, more needs to be done, much more, namely “creating tax benefits for those who buy locally”.
On the side of farmers who want to stay in or return to the mountains, it may be that the promise that CAP aid will "target" these territories will help to create more interest.
A last December's ordinance delimited vulnerable territories, which now constitute “the territorial reference for the application of specific policy measures, namely landscape reorganization and management programs and integrated landscape management areas”.
According to the Secretary of State, the «commitment assumed by the Government» to prioritize these territories in terms of the application of support that may be decided by the new reform of the CAP, which is currently under discussion, has now emerged.
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