Protests organized by the National Agriculture Confederation (CNA) and the Association of Viticulturists and Family Agriculture of Douro (Avadouriense) aim to demand measures to alleviate the crisis in the Douro region.
Residents of the Douro region fear a third consecutive harvest with difficulties selling grapes or having to sell them at low prices, with some having already received cancellation notices for grape orders this year.
“The situation in the region is concerning, and if nothing is done for small and medium producers, we will soon see parts of the region abandoned,” Berta Santos, a CNA leader, told the Lusa agency.
The call is for strong participation in the protest to draw the government’s attention, with one demand being at least the maintenance of production benefits in the 2025 harvest instead of a reduction proposed by traders, who cite declining sales and full stocks.
The benefit, which is the amount of must each producer can allocate for Port wine production, was 90,000 barrels (550 liters each) in 2024 and 104,000 in 2023.
“We do not accept cuts because the benefit is what allows small and medium producers to survive in this region. We want better prices for grapes because production costs are enormous,” added Berta Santos.
The demonstration seeks to demand fair prices and logistics for grapes, a ban on buying grapes below production costs, priority for regional brandy in Port wine production, increased oversight on incoming musts and wines from outside the region, and state purchases of surplus stocks from cooperative wineries, along with giving the Douro House legal and operational capacity to stabilize stocks.
The protest will start at 10:00 AM near Peso da Régua station in the southern district of Vila Real, with demonstrators marching along the avenue to the Doutor João Araújo Correia roundabout.
