Portuguese farmers demand action over rising agricultural diesel costs

Agricultural producers in Portugal are facing significant economic pressure due to rising agricultural diesel prices and a decline in dryland cereal production. In the Serpa region, the association APROSERPA has requested an urgent technical meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Sea to discuss the energy costs associated with food production.

In the Azores, the situation is exacerbated by a scheduled price increase where agricultural diesel is set to rise by 16.3 cents per liter starting September 1, reaching 1.585 euros per liter. Local political representatives have criticized the delay in the distribution of promised government aid, noting that farmers are still awaiting approximately 26 million euros in subsidies intended to offset rising costs for fertilizers and fuel.