Adding Value to the Cheese Sector with D.O.P. in Times of Pandemic

The partnership of the Program for the Enhancement of Cheese Production in the Center Region, aware of the period of uncertainty experienced in recent months, remained active in boosting its activities related to the industry.

Aiming to leverage the Milk Production in the entire Center Region, the partnership was focused on promoting two contests: Vale Pastor and Vale Pastor+.

Vale Pastor, is a contest that aims to award a prize money of 5000 euros to entrepreneurs who have successfully completed the “Shepherd School”, already installed or wishing to settle in the activity of agropastoralism for milk production and its supply to dairies that produce cheeses with D.O.P. in the Central Region, having already finished the phase of accepting applications.

Vale pastor + is a contest which aims to award a cash prize of 2500 euros to entrepreneurs, milk producers who supply or wish to supply milk to cheese dairies producing cheeses with D.O.P. and who present the best quality milk. This contest took place as planned, having concluded in the first half of 2020 the phase of sending the analytical bulletins of the control performed on the milk that took place during six months, according to the contest’s regulation.

Under the coordination of Intermunicipal Communities in the area of coverage of the candidates to the competition, including CIM Coimbra Region CIM, CIM Beira Baixa, CIM Viseu Dão Lafões and CIM Beiras and Serra da Estrela, with the strong collaboration of INOVCLUSTER and Cataa – Center for Technological Support Agri-Food. Both contests are in phase of evaluation and ranking of candidates for the awarding of the respective prizes. Once the ranking phase is over, the candidates will be duly informed.