Biodiverse pastures

Contributing to productivity and improving agricultural economic performance: This campaign will allow the promoter to advance the funds approved by the Portuguese Rural Development Program (PDR) 2020 for the installation of permanent pasture and the acquisition of equipment for livestock farming. Ponto Mais Alto's application was approved for contributing to improving economic performance and facilitating the restructuring and modernization of farms, as well as increasing market participation and agricultural diversification. The criteria for its selection were land and plantation improvements, organic production, and family farming.

Sustainable and resilient food production system: Ponto Mais Alto implements the organic production method on its extensive cattle farm. The promoter has an organic farming certificate for the animals and plants on the land. The promoters' farming and livestock activity is based on the implementation of permanent biodiverse pastures with livestock rotation on the land. These elements complement each other and result in various benefits, such as the accumulation of organic matter and better soil health, and better long-term grazing conditions and animal nutrition, due to the diversity of plants. There are currently 150 hectares and 40 animals.

Land reclamation and responsible management: the promoter implements responsible management of 150 hectares of land by restoring land that was previously marginal - that is, degraded to the point of being unusable. Today, the area has been restored and can be used for productive activity. The restoration of the land, in addition to treatments to the land, involves the implementation of biodiverse permanent pastures, which allow for the accumulation of more organic matter in the soil, more and better food for the animals, are more resistant to weather variations and are adaptable.

A Ponto Mais Alto é uma empresa familiar criada em 2017, detida e gerida pelo Joaquim Vargas e pela sua filha Laura Vargas. 

O promotor explora 150 ha de terrenos próprios, dedicando-se à agricultura e exploração de bovinos em regime extensivo biológicos com respeito pelo solo e pelo ambiente. 

O promotor começou por se focar na recuperação de terrenos danificados por um projeto florestal antigo que incluía valas de 1,5 metros onde era impossível circular e que foram arranjados. Neste momento a Ponto Mais Alto tem pastagem permanentes biodiversas, consideradas a melhor forma de gerir pastoreio, do ponto de vista ambiental. A rotação de pecuária no terreno permite acumular matéria orgânica no solo e melhorar as condição de pastagem, a saúde do solo e a nutrição dos animais.

O promotor nunca abateu nenhuma arvores, sempre respeitou as linhas de água para que sigam o seu curso natural, regenerou os solos degradados com valas profundas onde a vegetação era propicia a fogos florestais e recuperou as construções existentes como casas de pastores, muros centenários e outras estruturas.