The first edition of the Portugal Cheese Festival, in Alcains, takes place from May 5 to 7, continuing the dissemination of the tradition of Portuguese cheese production in Beira Baixa province, giving it a national and international dimension.

“This is a remarkable moment for what is the development strategy of the municipality of Castelo Branco. This is a new concept [Portugal Cheese Festival] of economic dynamism and affirmation of the village of Alcains and the municipality of Castelo Branco, at the national and international levels,” the president of the Albicastrense municipality, Leopoldo Rodrigues, said today at the presentation session of the event.

The Portugal Cheese Festival takes place in the village of Alcains between May 5 and 7 and has a joint organization of the Chamber of Castelo Branco, parish council of Alcains, Association of the Agroindustrial Cluster Center (InovCluster) and Agro-Food Technological Support Center in Castelo Branco (CAATA).

This new project aims at the strategic affirmation of the cheese sector, at a national scale, and the promotion of the territory internationally. However, it is inspired by the emblematic Cheese Fair, which for 17 years was held in the village of Alcains, being an event markedly turned to the consumer.

“Unfortunately, in recent years, producers of [Alkali cheese] have been losing size. Today this number is small and falls short of the interests of the region. It’s time to take a step forward and in a different direction,” said Leopoldo Rodrigues.

According to the mayor, the creation of this new product reconciled with what already existed in Alcains and aims to affirm the territory without it being an initiative focused only on the commercialization of cheese.

“With this festival we want much more than a fair where cheese is sold. We want it to be a space for debate and intervention about the sector. In this sense, we make three decisions: to give an international dimension, change of place and change of the date of the festival,” he stressed.

The president of the municipality of Castelo Branco, in the face of some local reactions to the change in the format of the old Cheese Fair, said that “the changes are always painful.”

“Therefore, I understand some insecurity and dissatisfaction on the part of those who like Alcains and who fight for its affirmation. I believe it will be a great event that will redesign the village [Alcains] and the municipality [Castelo Branco],” he said.

The president of the parish council of Alcains, Milena Santos, stressed that it was imperative to grow, giving a new dynamic and perspective to the event.

“We can’t stand there. In the consumer aspect, we would only be a cheese fair. It’s not going to be a fair, but a festival,” he stressed.

The executive director of InovCluster, Christelle Domingos, stressed the need to look at this initiative with “a projection of the future.”

The Portugal Cheese Festival will have a program of conferences and debate on the theme and will be attended by researchers who will focus on the entire value chain associated with cheese.

The new space, at the old school EB 2,3 José Sanches, allows the installation of cheese restaurants, esplanade area, conference area, children’s spaces, a pedagogical farm, exhibition of agricultural machinery, a stage for shows, among others.

For now, the program is not yet fully realized and so the organization will present it in due course.

 

Source:Agroportal.pt