Portuguese agricultural groups demand urgent state aid and intervention

Agricultural and horticultural associations in Portugal are calling for urgent government intervention to address rising production costs and declining competitiveness. Confagri, the National Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives and Agricultural Credit, has requested emergency meetings with the President and the Prime Minister. The organization warns that increasing prices and supply uncertainty regarding fuel and fertilizers threaten food security, national production capacity, and thousands of jobs, particularly in rural interior regions.

Simultaneously, three major horticultural associations—Portugal Fresh, COTHN, and FNOP—are demanding a €140 million direct support package from the government. They argue that Portuguese producers are losing competitiveness against Spanish counterparts due to a lack of robust public subsidies in Portugal. These groups noted that the trade deficit for fruits, vegetables, and flowers with Spain worsened by 20% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year, reaching €424 million. A delegation plans to deliver these demands to Parliament and the Prime Minister's official residence on October 12.