The Porto Wine Companies Association has urgently appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture to implement the green harvest measure, which would enable compensation for winegrowers without commercial prospects for their harvest, according to a statement.
Additionally, the association is calling for the activation of crisis distillation, requiring the purchase of wine for replenishment purposes.
The AEVP states that such an initiative would free up stored stock to make room for the 2025 harvest, while also assisting in replenishing wine supplies.
The association is advocating for these actions in light of the declining sales of port wine, which have fallen by a third since 2000, a trend that worsened in 2024.
Furthermore, according to the AEVP, the stock levels are at an unprecedented high, with a recent average production from the last five harvests totaling 135.3 million liters, and a lack of consensus on the necessary structural measures.
“Failure to implement these measures, already anticipated in the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (PEPAC), will exacerbate a crisis that requires structural solutions to align wine supply with demand, immediately impacting the profitability of the entire Douro Demarcated Region,” the statement emphasized.
The AEVP is a non-profit association comprising 33 companies, representing 63% of the total wine commercialization in the Douro Demarcated Region and 80% of port wine sales.
