“We must contribute to reducing the agri-food deficit on a European Union scale,” stated Agriculture Minister José Manuel Fernandes in response to the members of the parliamentary committees for Agriculture and Fisheries and for Budget, Finance, and Public Administration.
At the end of the third round of interventions, which included nearly 40 members, the minister mentioned the presence of “good indicators,” such as the reduction of the agri-food deficit by about 350 million euros.
The “forestry agri-food” deficit also decreased by approximately 600 million euros.
“These are good news that should not make us complacent, as there are always unforeseen events,” he warned, emphasizing that Portugal is “highly dependent” on external sources concerning cereals.
He highlighted the significance of the “Água que Une” strategy, which includes nearly 300 measures aimed at efficient water resource management.
The minister noted that the most successful contest of the PEPAC—Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy—was dedicated to ponds, which received an additional 40 million euros “and still was not enough.”
In this regard, “Água que Une” has 250 million euros allocated for ponds until 2030.
