The Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Handicrafts of Madeira (IVBAM), as part of the harvest itinerary initiative, has already passed through Caniçal, in the municipality of Machico, São Jorge, in the municipality of Santana, Seixal, in the municipality of Porto Moniz, Câmara de Lobos, and Porto Santo.
In this context, Tiago Freitas, President of IVBAM, notes, in a statement, that more than 1,600 tons of grapes have already been harvested so far, surpassing the amount of the same period in the previous year. “The Tinta Negra variety has been highlighted”, he adds, representing about 1,400 tons of the harvest, with greater incidence in the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos and São Vicente.
The president of IVBAM says that it is important to reinforce that “the flow of production is guaranteed by regional economic operators,” and that the Regional Government “will intervene with an exceptional measure, through the support of 20 cents per kilo in the tinta negra variety to compensate for production costs, namely labour”.
It should be recalled that this year, as a temporary and exceptional measure, the European Union approved funding of a total amount of 15,000,000 euros to Portugal, to support the distillation of wine with a protected designation of origin (PDO) and with a protected geographical indication (PGI) for the production of alcohol intended exclusively for industrial purposes, including disinfection products or pharmaceuticals, or for energy purposes to cope with the reduction of PDO and PGI wine stocks in mainland Portugal. In the Autonomous Region of Madeira the issue is different, explains Tiago Freitas. “The Regional Government intervenes to compensate for the labour costs that, for this campaign, were pointed out by winegrowers and economic operators as the great constraint.”
During the visits, the control teams monitored the verification of the probable alcohol level and the phytosanitary condition of the grapes. According to technicians, “the grapes showed good ripeness, and a significant variation in quality is not expected compared to last year’s harvest.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
