The Minister of Agriculture warned today that the European Commission’s vision for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could undermine the agricultural market by making farmer subsidies contingent upon each member state’s financial resources.
“What will happen is that countries with more resources will support their farmers using national and regional funds, while poorer nations won’t have that capability. This destroys the market and ends the common agricultural policy,” José Manuel Fernandes stated today, adding, “We will have national agricultural policies, with common rules but uneven support.”
During the debate “Investment in Irrigation: What’s New?” held by the National Federation of Portuguese Irrigators (FENAREG) at AGROGLOBAL in Santarém, the minister argued that this approach may lead to a conflict among member states, with farmers demanding equivalent support to that given in other countries, likening the situation to what occurred with the automotive industry.
“First, the industry was destroyed, only for it to be later acknowledged as important. The CAP is being dismantled so eventually it will be recognized that it worked well,” he noted.
José Manuel Fernandes emphasized that to date, subsidies were distributed fairly, considering regional differences, but the new model will foster “unfair competition” among farmers from different countries.
“A farmer from a financially stronger country will be able to sell cheaper, causing income to fall in countries unable to provide the same level of support. This is the destruction of the market,” he said, adding, “Portugal, with a balanced but limited budget, will be disadvantaged.”
In the same event, the minister advocated for Portugal to focus on a “comprehensive and long-term” national irrigation strategy to ensure competitiveness, sustainability, and regional cohesion.
“Not acting has a cost. Delaying has a cost. The Alqueva project is an example where the investment is already paid off and generates 331 million euros annually for the state,” he highlighted.
He also criticized what he termed “environmental radicalism,” suggesting that some prefer a desert to cohesion and that “injunctions against essential works, such as dams, harm rather than protect the environment.”
The official confirmed that an ongoing plan includes over 40 agricultural projects worth a total of 423 million euros, urging speed in reviewing public consultation contributions.
“We are pulling projects out of drawers to implement. We’re not here to dismantle what has been done, but to continue, improve, and transform,” he concluded.
