The Minister of Agriculture emphasized today the necessity to “align supply with demand” for wine, particularly in the Douro region, stating that “we cannot always be destroying wine” and acknowledging the need for “solutions for farmers who will experience reduced production.”
“Our objective is to support the small and medium producers. They cannot be the losers. They cannot work in vain; their work must be valued, and they must earn an income. Hence, the balance between supply and demand is crucial,” stated José Manuel Fernandes in a discussion with journalists at the inauguration of the 28th Monção Alvarinho Fair, in the Viana do Castelo district.
Referring to the Douro region, where winegrowers protested on Wednesday, the minister acknowledged the need to “provide support for the substitution” process aimed at reducing Port wine production.
“We need to adjust in some regions, the supply to demand. There, we must have solutions for those farmers who will see their production decreased. For example, in the Douro region,” he said.
The official pointed out that “we cannot always be destroying wine, converting wine into brandy, which is essentially alcohol for industrial purposes.”
“Between 2020 and 2024, 54 million euros were spent on distillation; that is taxpayer money,” he criticized.
Moreover, the demarcated Douro region requires “a series of measures,” including “enotourism as part of them,” along with “increased promotion, training, and skills development.”
The minister highlighted that “if the country had taken the measures this Government has adopted in 2024, this situation would not have arisen.”
“We created a six-million-euro fund for cooperatives to pay debts to producers, increased oversight, and ended sequestrations. But this is not enough. We need to go further in some territories,” he argued.
Winegrowers in the Douro protested on Wednesday in Peso da Régua, just weeks ahead of a grim harvest, to raise awareness about the increasing challenges and the viability of the demarcated region.
“We want to make the voice of the winegrowers heard, particularly their main demands, aimed at structurally resolving the crisis in the Demarcated Douro Region, including banning the purchase of grapes below production costs,” said Vítor Rodrigues, leader of the National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA), to the Lusa agency.
According to the official, the farmers “also reject further cuts in the benefit,” referring to the quantity of must each producer can allocate to Port wine production.
Douro producers fear a third consecutive harvest plagued with difficulties in selling the grapes or selling at low prices, with some already receiving letters canceling grape orders for this year.
To confront the crisis, producers advocate measures such as ensuring grape flow and fair prices, banning purchases below production costs, prioritizing regional brandy in Port wine production, increased inspection of must and wine entering from outside the region, and the state purchase of surplus stock from cooperative wineries.
