Portuguese agricultural sector grievances

Portuguese livestock producers and agricultural organizations are expressing growing dissatisfaction with government support and management of sector-specific crises.

In the Trás-os-Montes region, farmers have protested against increasing wolf attacks on cattle and sheep. Producers report significant economic losses and have criticized the government for delayed compensation payments, which in some cases take over a year to process. The Union of Livestock Producers Damaged by Wolves has stated that these attacks threaten the viability of agropastoral holdings, using the slogan ‘Wolves protected, producers bankrupt’ to describe the situation.

Expanding on these grievances, the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP) has accused the government of abandoning the agricultural sector. The CAP highlighted several systemic issues, including the lack of a national intervention body for forest fires and insufficient support regarding rising fuel prices. The organization also noted a disparity in aid compared to Spain, pointing out that Portugal’s fertilizer support of 20 million euros was significantly lower than the 650 million euro supplement provided by the Spanish government, and criticized the failure to utilize available EU funds.