“Agriculture is strategic for us, it is structural, it is food on the plate, food security, cohesion, competitiveness, research, and innovation,” said the minister during a visit to the National Agriculture Fair in Santarém, where he was accompanied by the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen.
The minister highlighted the work that the government has been developing in the area, notably the strengthening of farmers’ income, support for generational renewal, and the launch of the “Water that Unites” project, also noting that the Portuguese agri-food deficit was reduced by more than 400 million euros in 2024.
Questioned about the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the minister stated that it is an essential tool for ensuring more sustainable agricultural practices but warned of the need to increase available funds and reduce bureaucratic processes.
“The farmer cannot be in the field and, at the same time, fill out forms every day,” he said.
José Manuel Fernandes also emphasized the need to ensure widespread access to vaccines and plant protection products, noting that currently only two member states have laboratories for producing vaccines against pests and diseases.
“We have new pests and diseases. But it is essential that vaccines are available to all member states. If these laboratories keep the vaccines for their farmers, there will be a market disruption,” he warned.
The minister also advocated strengthening agricultural insurance policies, warning of inequalities between member states in access to instruments such as weather insurance.
“It is important that weather insurance is available to all member states under similar conditions so that we do not have a situation where a farmer in one member state has access to insurance and another does not,” he added.
Regarding the CAP review, the minister reiterated that “what works well should not be destroyed,” considering the model has been “a great success” despite admitting improvements.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, emphasized that European agriculture is facing increasing pressures, from climate change to the impact of the war in Ukraine, as well as trade tensions between the United States and China.
“Productivity needs to be at the center of agricultural policy again,” he argued.
The commissioner recalled that the European Commission recently presented a legislative package to simplify the CAP, expecting it to be ratified soon by the European Parliament and Council.
“We want to implement these measures next year,” he stated, recalling that the European Union has a funding gap in the agricultural sector of around 62 billion euros.
The official believes it is essential to ensure attractive conditions for young people to enter the agricultural sector through education, political stability, and financing.
“Food security and sovereignty are not guaranteed; we need to invest in the next generation,” he maintained.
