The Minister of Agriculture said this Wednesday that 160,000 applications had been submitted for the single payment and that the number of applications should be reached last year, but acknowledged that the process of helping farmers is not going well.
At a parliamentary hearing, the minister said 160,000 applications had been submitted for the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (PEPAC) single payment scheme through Tuesday and said she believed more would arrive by the end of the 31st deadline.
“We believe that conditions can be created so that by the end of the month, the 186,000 people who applied last year will also submit their candidacies,” Maria do Seu Antunes said in the parliamentary committee on agriculture.
The minister also said that she could ensure that, despite problems in the process that led to an extension of the application period, payments would be made from October.
Even in her speech, the minister acknowledged that things did not go as they should have, that “the strategic plan is a complex tool and that it is difficult for farmers to understand what they should mobilize in order to receive a good level of income support”, but that the Government is working on to avoid these problems in the future and that it is “on the side of the farmers, the consumers”.
“We don’t whiten, we know things aren’t going well, there are things that haven’t gone well,” he said, adding that he wants to “simplify the process” in the future.
“There are things to prepare for the future,” he said.
The PCP urgently requested a hearing today on the application process for the PEPAC Single Payment Scheme.
The process has been widely criticized by organizations representing farmers, including AJAP – Portuguese Young Farmers Association, CAP – Portuguese Farmers Confederation, CNA – National Confederation of Agriculture and Confagri – National Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives and Agricultural Credits of Portugal. , in a joint statement, expresses its deep concern about the current application process for the Single Request 2023.
At today’s hearing, following the minister’s statements, PKP MP Joao Dias considered the process to be indicative of “government confusion” in supporting farmers, and said that the greater complexity and disorganization meant that only “big and very big succeed” in applying, fine the smallest.
“Small agriculture loses the most,” declared the communist deputy.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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