Publication of an application for registration of a name pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

(2021/C 398/19)

This publication confers the right to oppose the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) within three months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Carne Ramo Grande’

EU No: PDO-PT-02640 – 13 October 2020

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s)

’Carne Ramo Grande’

2.   Member state or third county

Portugal

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.1. Fresh meat (and offal)

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

Fresh, refrigerated and frozen meat taken from cattle of the Ramo Grande breed that have been entered in the herd book for the Ramo Grande cattle breed and which were born, reared and slaughtered in the defined geographical area in accordance with this specification.

‘Carne Ramo Grande’ can be presented for sale in carcass, half-carcass or quarter-carcass form, as well as cuts which can either be whole or sliced. As well as the traditional presentation formats - the carcass or packaged cuts (whole or sliced), ‘Carne Ramo Grande’ can also be presented for sale in the form of packaged minced meat.

Meat that is bright red in colour (tending towards more intense upon contact with air and the older the animal from which it is taken), with a firm consistency as a result of the interfascicular connective tissue present in variable proportions and with the aromatic smell that is intrinsic to the species. Well-distributed fat at the subcutaneous, intracavity, perimuscular and intramuscular levels. Pearly white fat, with a firm consistency after the carcass has cooled. Not greasy to the touch.

Five age categories have been defined:

—	Vitelão [yearling] – meat taken from bovine carcasses aged at least 8 but not more than 12 months, classified in the ‘Z’ category and with a minimum carcass weight of 110 kg.

—	Novilho/a [young bull/heifer] - meat taken from bovine carcasses aged at least 12 but not more than 24 months in the case of whole male carcasses (category ‘A’) and at least 12 months for females (category ‘E’), with a minimum carcass weight of 130 kg (category ‘A’) and 120 kg (category ‘E’).

—	Macho inteiro (Touro) [whole male carcass (bull)] - meat taken from whole male carcasses aged at least 24 months (category ‘B’) and with a minimum carcass weight of 200 kg.

—	Castrado [castrated bull or steer] - meat taken from castrated male bovine carcasses aged at least 12 months (category ‘C’) and with a minimum carcass weight of 130 kg.

—	Vaca [cow]- meat taken from the carcasses of female bovines that have already calved, classified in category ‘D’ and with a minimum carcass weight of 200 kg.

The meat is tender, succulent and tasty. Meat in the Vitelão and Novilho/a categories is more tender but the meat of the other age categories is just as succulent and tasty.

Carcass classification

Carcasses classified in the following identified categories are allowed.

—	Conformation:

Novilho/a [Young bull/heifer]; Macho inteiro (Touro) [Whole male (bull)]; Castrado [Castrated bull/steer] - categories S, E, U, R and O are allowed.

Other age categories - given the morphological and functional characteristics that are specific to the Ramo Grande breed and the type of livestock management practised, particularly as regards the sex, age and weight of the animals at slaughter, category ‘P’ carcasses are also allowed as well as the categories listed above.

—	Fat cover score:

Carcasses with a fat cover score of 1 are not allowed.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The animals are fed in accordance with traditional cattle-rearing practices. The basis of their diet is grazing on natural or improved pastures, used for direct grazing and offering a mixture of grasses and legumes, such as Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass), Trifolium repens (white clover), Trifolium pratense (red clover) and Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot), all of which are available all year round thanks to the favourable soil and climate conditions in the Azores.

The calves feed on their mothers’ milk for at least the first three months. They are weaned at 6 - 7 months. As the calves accompany their mothers to the pastures until that time, they also feed on pasture and forage.

The adult cattle feed on fresh grass and their diet is also supplemented with grass silage, hay, green maize or maize silage or other feed from the farm (e.g. maize grains, dry maize husks, sweet potato stalks, sweet pittosporum) or from other farms in the archipelago of the Azores.

When the cattle’s nutritional needs are not fully met by grazing (typically in small, scattered holdings), particularly during the finishing stage or if adverse weather conditions lead to food shortages, compound feed can be administered for energy and protein. Supplementary feed sourced outside the Azores archipelago must never account for more than 50 % of the dry matter in the total annual diet of the animals.

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

Birth, rearing and slaughter.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product to which the registered name refers

—

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product to which the registered name refers

Irrespective of the presentation format, ‘Carne Ramo Grande’ must feature one of the following wordings: ‘Carne Ramo Grande - Denominação de Origem Protegida’ [Carne Ramo Grande - Protected Designation of Origin] or ‘Carne Ramo Grande DOP’ [Carne Ramo Grande PDO].

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

The geographical area for ‘Carne Ramo Grande’ is the archipelago of the Azores, which is formed by nine islands: Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico, Faial, Flores and Corvo.

5.   Link with the geographical area

The archipelago of the Azores has a temperate maritime climate with mild temperatures and a narrow temperature range, high relative humidity and rainfall. Its volcanic soils have loam, sandy loam and clay loam textures and are rich in organic matter and potassium.

This soil-climate combination naturally provides conditions that are exceptionally well-suited to grass production, which means that the animals can graze 365 days a year.

This production system is essentially dependent on grazing and the production of forage. The products are obtained using environmentally sustainable methods and there is very little input from outside the farm.

The soil and climate conditions in the Azores are conducive to grassland development all year round. However, it fluctuates with the changes in temperature and rainfall levels. Consequently, grass production is at its peak in spring/summer. Biodiversity is high in the pasturelands and this allows them to cover most of the nutritional needs of Ramo Grande cattle all year round. Cattle-farming in the Azores has always been based on making good use of natural resources, with strong links to the natural environment and a focus on sustainability. The general characteristics of the Ramo Grande native breed are influenced by the natural conditions in the archipelago and by the use traditionally given to animals of this breed. These animals have always been kept for three reasons (as draught animals and for their meat and milk). Farmers used to use Ramo Grande bulls to service the females for one or two breeding seasons and then castrate them and train them for ploughing and as draught animals. They would meet these needs and also gradually provide the meat and milk that were essential in the farmers’ diet. As the cattle were reared in a subsistence agriculture model, farmers used to spend a lot of time in close proximity with their animals. The extensive farming and the specific expertise of the farmers (as regards the animals’ diet and livestock management) ensured excellent living conditions for the animals. This has helped make the quality of the products obtained so distinctive. Given their main role (as draught animals), there has always been a great deal of human contact with these animals as they had to be taught to perform their tasks. They showed great readiness to learn and were very docile, particularly towards their owners, who for their part took every care to ensure that they were fed in accordance with their efforts and to protect them from the cold or other adverse weather conditions. They were mostly housed in ‘atafonas’(mills), ‘palheiros’ (straw lofts) and ‘lojas’ (workshops) at people’s homes, as they provided warmth at the coldest times of year. This meant they were kept in close proximity to people and this fondness for the animals was handed down from generation to generation. Nowadays, there are cultural events (parades, competitions and ethnographic displays, often with a link to religious rituals in honour of the Holy Spirit) which bring the breeders of these cattle together, strengthening ties and gathering people that appreciate and take pride in the fact that they breed these animals. It is important to note that although the average number of cattle per farm is low, their continued existence is proof of the strong emotional link with these animals.

The characteristics of ‘Carne Ramo Grande’, in terms of taste, tenderness and succulence, are the result of the way that the animals are reared. The soil and climate conditions in the Azores, combined with the particular breeding technique and the docile nature of the animals, mean they can graze all year round.

As the meat is taken from animals reared in a grazing system which allows them to freely roam the pastures and move between different plots, it tends to be more intense in colour. In accordance with the age category of the animal, the colour of ‘Carne Ramo Grande’ meat varies from paler red in the case of the younger animals to brighter red as the age increases. The colour of the fat also varies according to the age of the animal, from white in the case of the younger animals to more yellowed in the case of the steers and adult cattle (bulls and cows).

The climate (very suitable for cattle farming) and the soil (fertile and easily tilled) combine to provide good pastureland. This has allowed the cattle that were taken to the Azores archipelago when it was first discovered and settled to adapt, develop and evolve, acquiring the distinctive genetic characteristics that define the Ramo Grande breed today.

Ramo Grande breeders are the guardians of a unique genetic heritage which they have insisted on preserving as the legacy of their ancestors over several generations and often in difficult circumstances. Their commitment has always been to preserve this heritage and they have always thought of the cattle herds as part of their extended family. In the traditional festivities on the various islands of the Azores archipelago, and particularly those devoted to the Holy Ghost, the meat of these animals has always been the favourite for the typical dishes served at these festive events. These combine expertise and traditional recipes from each of the islands and even from one village to the next, passed down through the generations to highlight the flavours and aromas inherent and specific to the meat of this breed.

These cattle are significant in the archipelago of the Azores, for the way they are still used in traditional farming and ethnographic festivities and also for their importance in the cuisine served to locals and visitors alike.

Publication reference of the specification

(the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) of this Regulation)

https://tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt/images/prod_imagens/carne/docs/CE_Carne_Ramo_Grande_DOP.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.