Ovibeja: President of ACOS talks about the 35 years and the honor of Castro and Brito.
Rui Garrido, President of ACOS, states in an interview that “we enjoy the 35 Ovibeja years to do a big fair”.
In the year that celebrates the OVIBEJA 35 year old, Rui Garrido, President of ACOS – Southern farmers, It considers that the fair "retains its original character" and that continues to be the main forum for "discussion and claim" of farmers and society Alentejo.
With a poster shows "very much improved" to indicate the ephemeris, President of ACOS reveals that this year's OVIBEJA will also be marked by the homage ceremony to Manuel de Castro and Brito, former President da ACOS, died two years ago, and consist of the allocation of its name to the Fair Park and Beja Exhibition, which takes place OVIBEJA, as decision already taken by the city of Beja on a proposal from ACOS.
Every year when spring comes, advertises itself also OVIBEJA. This is the 35th OVIBEJA, a round number and, once again, an important OVIBEJA ...
Rui Garrido – Sim, It is an important OVIBEJA, immediately to be 35 year old, but also because they are taking advantage of these 35 years we wanted to do here a tribute to our late and late Manuel de Castro and Brito. Even we booked it with the House, in other words, give your name to the Fair Park and Beja Exhibition, which takes place OVIBEJA.
Therefore, it will happen in this edition of OVIBEJA?
We are preparing things in this sense. In principle, the name giving ceremony will take place on the opening day of OVIBEJA. Taking advantage of the passing of 35 year old, we are also preparing a book on what was OVIBEJA over time where we, certainly, highlight the most important thing happened. We will also make a thematic exhibition showing how were the various OVIBEJAS and honor some of our directors who have departed. Therefore, let's enjoy these 35 years to do a memory exercise on OVIBEJA and on those who have done. For this special OVIBEJA, also wanted to improve the evening shows. I think we got a good poster, 1st line consisting of all artists.
A look of memory and memorial of 35 years the route of OVIBEJA. However, generally, the look of OVIBEJA has always been very focused on the future. This year is the exception?
– Of course not. Every year we try to devise something new, We try to imagine new things, although traces of the fair this year be very similar to what was, namely, last year. We continued to invest in Fair Field, You'll get more hits, not only for machinery that there is on display, but also for the people who visit us. We partnered with seven companies that settled there demonstration farms of their products, including several cultures here in the region, such as cereals, beans, peas, colza, etc., in order to stimulate this area, facing a more professional audience, Following what already we had been doing in previous years. Let's keep the Sing Pavilion with another exhibition dedicated to local heritage, and the Institutional Pavilion, as we did last year, without "food and drink". These are all together near the Earth Pavilion Fertile. Our theme will continue to be facing the internationalization of our products of plant origin, not only annual crops, but also fruit crops, olivicultura, etc.
Cultures also connected to irrigation, the Alqueva?
– Sim, closely linked to the irrigated, but not limited to, because we never forget that the Alentejo is not only the Alqueva, or other small private irrigation schemes which around for. Our Alentejo is more. What remains of the irrigation, are two million eight hundred thousand hectares that have no water and is inside desertified, the forest, extensive husbandry etc.; we can never forget this reality. We maintain this year our International Competition of Olive Oils, which is rated one of the best, if not the best, worldwide contest, It is the Jury, It comprises about forty specialists, back to meet in Beja. also took the jury meeting to accomplish the Alentejo Olive Oil Route. The idea is to invite domestic and foreign journalists to know and assess the backstage of olive oil contest and the importance of the olive sector and the oil in the Alentejo.
8Competition th International Olive Oil. This contest is an added value for OVIBEJA?
– It has a great added value for us because it is the only international olive oil competition that is made in Portugal. The best known worldwide contest is the Mario Solinas, to be held in Madrid; ours is a contest that has a very similar Regulation and, last year, had, including, oil samples more than Solinas. We received over 160 oils and were calculated about 150. It is a contest already internationally renowned who recently received an award by the magazine "World Best Olive Oils", what, annually elects 100 best olive oils in the world. this election, an award-winning olive oil that Spanish competition, or in our, It will be scored than those who obtain identical awards, other world competitions.
Associated with the day that will make delivery of the Tender Olive Oil Awards, in OVIBEJA, we will also make another international seminar facing the row of olive oil.
And what else we have in OVIBEJA?
– Within the play activities, we will also improve our horse program, an activity that brings many people to the fair. We will have, again, hitches and we are trying as there is an Iberian championship horseball. Therefore, In summary, we want to have a dynamic OVIBEJA, which adhere to the exhibitors, once again, in force - last year we had the largest number of exhibitors ever – and that is a big fair in these their 35 year old.
This year was, at first, a particularly dry year, then it started to rain. Things?
– Sim. Many of our concerns, They disappeared with the latter rain. Nobody expected in our region over rain 200 mm. The area harvested was lower feed, often with poor germination, food reserves were practically consumed, pastures had not yet. However, whether they, or annual arable, They were living with the little rain that occurred, but water reserves, or for watering livestock, either for irrigation, were nil. We were on the verge of a dramatic and catastrophic situation. At this time, in our region, There are conditions for those annual upland crops thrive, Water for livestock is guaranteed, Alqueva has received 750 million m3 and dams connected to the system EFMA, such as the Purple and Odivelas, although very dependent on this, Also no longer need to get as much water EDIA. A word to say that this water purchased the edia is very expensive to associations, being reflected its cost, after, the final price of water to irrigators. The most worrying case, outside the EFMA, It is the dam of Nossa Senhora da Rocha, that was just 20% its ability.
No Alto Alentejo, where it has rained more, I think the campaign irrigation, private and public, It may already normally occur.
The ACOS manages the Fair and Exhibition Center in conjunction with the Municipality of Beja. This year there is a new president of the municipality. As it has been the relationship between the two entities?
– We have had a meeting with the Chamber, because it was necessary. Not only because we are partners in the management of the Park, but also, because there are a number of issues that have to be treated and already came back, with former President, namely the conservation of the park at various levels, from the streets bathrooms, cleaning, etc.. At this meeting we have found a good reception and willingness to cooperate, so we expect to continue to have this House with a good relationship, as, in fact we had with the previous. However, some of these works that we wanted to do before OVIBEJA, we believe that it will only be able to perform in the next edition of the fair.
Another of the agenda on issues, in terms of improvements, It had to do with the improvement of area restaurants. This has to do more with ACOS?
– Sim. It has to do with us. We are working on it, We not do everything in one year, it will take two or three years, to improve this area of ​​the fair.
Olive groves and Amendoal, major crops. What is the environment that exists today around the Alentejo agriculture? In irrigated feels euphoria in terms of exports. It is consistent?
– Irrigated land has future prospects, while all that is dry is the same as it was many years ago, is livestock, are cereals, although nowadays almost no longer make dry cereals, except for pasture. Taking this area, we get the irrigated area by Alqueva that, fortunately, is producing. But, even here, a few years ago we saw the landscape changed with the existence of many irrigation pivots, today it is no longer present. These days we see more plantations. All this has to do with the main annual crops prices. are cereals, be oil (sunflower or rapeseed), corn is, all maintain very low prices, uncompetitive, the farmer and is carried to other crops. On the other hand, sectors of the oil and almond, remain in good financial health (in our region, They are planted six to seven hectares of almond). Therefore, the farmer is led to do this kind of permanent crops - also have made some walnut and other fruit trees – instead of annual crops. Fortunately there are some sectors that are well and here in the Alqueva area.
And corn?
– Nowadays corn area decreased considerably, not only via its selling price, already mentioned, but also because it requires very high water levels, getting your very expensive culture.
And how is the farming sector Alentejo?
– Within the cattle is a row that has remained stable in recent years and is associated with the pig alentejano, particularly for those who can afford to do, in other words, for those who have mounted. The pig fattened on acorns worth money, the other no longer. Many of these pigs are processed in Spain, but it is a sector whose prices give protection to the farmer. Have cattle and sheep remain at the prices that were here many years ago. A livestock farm, in my opinion, to be profitable has to be extended, have dimension. The more we try to intensify, worse is. Requires spending more money on food, seeds, fertilizers, etc., and defenses for the farmer are lower.
But animal transformation continues, largely, to be made outside the region.
– Go on, de facto, to be so, except that any change to the level of alentejano pigs and sheep's milk and goat. In the marketing of animals, for example, a ACOS, by the will of our associates, recently started trade in lambs through partnership with a Spanish cooperative, who are here in Andalusia, and we are currently exporting sheep there. Here very close to the border, They have a fattening center and some of these lambs, after, to be marketed to Portugal, since this cooperative has trade relations with Portuguese supermarkets. If this our partnership continue to go well, It has gone as far, probably the ACOS here will do their own fattening center, as a means of obtaining corresponding gains the most.
And how is the sector of cattle?
– We do cattle auction here on ACOS who have also gone well so far. But in recent auctions we have been aware that there is a kind of cartel prices. That is why, We are also considering to replicate what we do with the marketing of lambs, with another Spanish cooperative, but in terms of cattle. With the lambs is all very transparent. They are marketed on the basis of a stock market that exists in Extremadura. When a producer comes in here with a lot of lambs, we have the reference of the previous week's stock market and the variations are not very large. The price is paid based on that exchange and, Extremadura, the price of lamb has been 10 or 12 euros above what is the price of lamb in Portugal, and it pays off and has gone well.
Innovate without destroying. Returning to OVIBEJA some say that the fair has been misread as agro-livestock fair, to be open to a variety of industries. Accept this criticism?
– Do Not. Rather. I think we have tried to keep within that OVIBEJA moth was the original OVIBEJA. The OVIBEJA always been a little bit of everything. We still have a very worthy livestock exhibition, with several competitions associated with native breeds and shearing, and we are increasingly streamline the space we call the Campo da Feira, exposure occurs where current machines and equipment, making it more professional. We want to maintain so OVIBEJA, with the moth has always had, attracting more and more companies for the marketing of products, seeds, chemicals, etc., who has a professional nature, but it is the OVIBEJA it ever was.
The OVIBEJA it has been, also, always a demanding and not accommodated voice. The OVIBEJA will keep this record that was very line of Manuel de Castro and Brito?
– Also. The OVIBEJA always been and there, to continue to be a forum for discussion of the problems. The issues and concerns that are, at each fair, current, we will always discuss with who comes here, are party leaders, MEPs, ministers, prime ministers or presidents. There'll always be one of the problems discussion forum and a claiming forum. Our opening speeches always try to address the main themes of time and what worries us so much in agriculture, as for the region. We never run away to discuss an issue with anyone else. The OVIBEJA there-to remain also this forum.
The OVIBEJA do it now 35 year old. A further five-year horizon which can change in OVIBEJA?
-We must always try to be, and increasingly, imaginative to get em every year, at least, introduce something new, because you can not, not want, radically change the fair. from logo, to be impossible and, after, because the current model has been successful, where people feel good, They like to be and visit. It is this mixture, what passes for an informative forum, reivindicativo, troubleshooting, of business, a diverse space, where there is also much that has nothing to do with agriculture. At the personal level, I liked that OVIBEJA always keep what is its essence and its characteristics, but may continue to become more professional. Who knows, do here one year dedicated only to one area or just to a specific topic of a given crop row. These are things that we have already spoken and we can start thinking and idealizing.
Instead of being so varied, focus all under a certain theme?
For example.
