More than 190 milk producers admitted in the Vale Pastor + initiative

/in /by

The initiative aims to respond to the loss of impact and interest that the activity of milk production for the manufacture of cheese with PDO has been suffering in recent times.

Vale Pastor + is another innovative initiative included in the project “Program for the Enhancement of Cheese Production in the Central Region”, aimed at current and potential milk producers who supply or aim to supply cheese producers of Serra da Estrela, Beira Baixa and Rabaçal cheeses with PDO. 228 applications were submitted, 196 of which were approved, and the program aims to respond to the loss of impact and interest that the activity of milk production for the manufacture of cheese with PDO has been suffering in recent times not only among young producers, but also new investors.

The initiative will run until May 2020, with producers being subject to monthly checks on the quality of the PDO milk produced and compliance with the standards of the PDO specifications established. At the end of the evaluation process, the candidates with the highest milk quality during the period December 2019 to May 2020 will be awarded the Vale Pastor + prize, worth 2500 euros.

Through the allocation of this monetary prize, by the Intermunicipal Community, administratively responsible in the territory for the installation of the respective producer, the initiative aims not only to encourage existing producers to continue their commitment to this type of production but also to stimulate the creation of new businesses in this activity.

The award of the Vale Pastor + is part of the project “Program for the Enhancement of Cheese Production in the Central Region”, supported by CENTRO 2020, in which 14 entities participate, including the scientific and technological system, industry associations and intermunicipal communities, which propose to develop a wide range of actions to enhance and improve the competitiveness of the PDO cheese production in the Central Region.

Due to an information source failure, article Edited on January 7: “190 milk producers”, “current and potential milk producers who supply or aim to supply cheesemakers producing PDO Serra da Estrela, Beira Baixa and Rabaçal cheeses”, “milk production for the production of PDO cheese”.