Around 400 farmers, researchers and technicians from the dairy sector are expected tomorrow, 29 November, in Esposende, for the 2020 edition of the National Milk Colloquium, organised by APROLEP, the Portuguese Dairy Farmers' Association, in collaboration with AJADP, the Young Farmers' Association of the District of Porto, with the support of the Caixa de Crédito Agrícola and several reference companies in the provision of services to farmers and milk producers.

"How to value grass in milk production?", "Animal welfare and the image of milk production", "Raising cows and producing milk in a sustainable environment" and "The challenge of communicating agriculture" will be the topics addressed and discussed with participants through new technologies, with questions sent by messenger and text.

For the Milk Producer and President of APROLEP, Jorge Oliveira "Society wants a climate-friendly agricultural production, but laws in this sense have to be discussed and implemented in cooperation with farmers. Carbon storage, biodiversity, soil fertility, flood control and erosion are all contributions of agriculture to the environment, but a fair payment of the costs of this work, through the price of milk or financial aid from the new CAP, is needed. Farmers can't be the one who pays the bill and the cows the ones that take the blame for global warming".

In the same vein, Miguel Silva, a young farmer and President of AJADP, warns that "recent comments blaming cattle for the release of methane have only caused alarmism and distrust among farmers and society" and adds that "low milk prices do not encourage young farmers to take on the future of milk production", and it is important that the government "stops demanding an increase in production in order to approve projects, whilst the main indicators for the valorisation of proposals are the environmental balance of farms and animal welfare".

During the colloquium, the researchers invited will share with technicians and farmers the latest results of their projects on local resource use, circular economy, effluent management, nutrient balance and reduction of chemical fertilizers, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration increase in pastures and animal welfare evolution in milk production, in the light of science and research.

APROLEP and AJADP also consider that the agricultural and zootechnical research work, carried out far from the media spotlight, needs to be better communicated. The urban population's lack of knowledge has been exploited by opportunists who are poisoning society against farmers to get benefits for new political ideologies or more expensive artificial foods to replace meat and milk. That is why "communicating agriculture" will be the last topic of the colloquium and it is a challenge that we take up, because we want to cultivate the land, care for the animals and feed the population in a responsible, ecological, climate-friendly way and with maximum animal welfare in the light of scientific criteria.

The opening session will be chaired by the Regional Director for Agriculture and Fisheries of the North, engineer Carla Alves, representing the Minister of Agriculture and at the closing will be Isabel Carvalhais MEP as well as representatives of other MEPs.

The colloquium starts with a dairy breakfast and ends with a toast to milk, followed by a lunch with veal steaks.

We appreciate the support of Caixa de Crédito Agrícola de P. Varzim, Vila do Conde and Esposende and the companies that sponsor the colloquium: Syngenta, Solvenag, Sojagado, Coren, Agrovete, Genética 21, Nanta, Fertinagro, Torre Marco, Harker, Dekalb, Socidias, Fertiprado, de heus, Pioneer, Gondimil, Consulai, Feima, Farmopecuária , Magos Irrigation Systems and Revista Vaca Pinta.

The Management of APROLEP

Contact:
Jorge Oliveira - President Aprolep - 919872203
Miguel Silva - President AJADP - 964142769