Portuguese government issues 809 million euros in agricultural and fishing support

The Portuguese government announced that payments to farmers and fishermen reached 809 million euros through August, representing a 39% increase compared to the same period in 2025. In August alone, 71 million euros were distributed, benefiting over 35,700 individuals. Specific allocations included 13.3 million euros for vineyard restructuring, 3 million euros for wine byproduct distillation, and 7 million euros for sustainability and modernization in the fishing sector via the Mar 2030 program.

The National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA) has criticized these announcements, labeling the emphasis on large sums as a “recurring subterfuge” by the government. The CNA argued that while the Ministry of Agriculture uses these figures to suggest sector resilience, many small and medium-sized farmers continue to face significant hardships.

The Confederation noted that nearly 40% of the reported increase stems from settling overdue payments from the Rural Development Program (PDR) 2020, citing a lack of a smooth transition to the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy (PEPAC). Additionally, while 30 million euros were provided as extraordinary measures to mitigate rising production costs linked to the conflict involving Iran, farmers reported spending an additional 55 million euros on diesel alone.