The President of Chegi, André Ventura, this Thursday called on right-wing parties to make “election commitments” at the national level in the agricultural sector, seeking the payment of support without delay and “as required.”
“I would like to appeal to all parties, especially to parties that can form a right-wing majority. I would like to address the election commitments in the field of agriculture, in which the due support will be paid on time and on time, clearly and clearly, and not as it was in the Socialist Party government, with constant and constant delays,” said Andre Ventura .
The leader spoke to reporters at the Santana agricultural fair in the Azores municipality of Ribeira Grande, where he was campaigning for Sunday’s regional legislatures.
Ventura said he understands the protest that is taking place this Thursday in various parts of the country and said that farmers “have reasons to be upset, they have reasons not to trust the government.”
“They failed at everything: they failed at support when Covid came, they failed at support when inflation and war came, they failed at drought,” he lamented, referring to knowledgeable producers who had not yet received assistance due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Professionals in the sector in Portugal, he added, are “among the most penalized in Europe” due to the fees they pay, the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy – with “unfair competition” from products from other countries with cheaper labor – and high costs energy.
Andre Ventura found it “ironic” that the chief executive had now announced a package worth several hundred million euros for the sector, “even though a few days ago it would have been impossible to allocate money for other purposes.”
“This government plays mainly with lies and hypocrisy,” he said.
Several access roads to the border with Spain were blocked this Thursday by Portuguese farmers with their tractors, who joined the protests also taking place in other European countries, demanding higher values for the sector and fair conditions.
The Civic Farmers’ Movement initiative comes a day after the government announced a package worth more than €400 million aimed at mitigating the effects of drought and strengthening the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (PEPAC). ).
Farmers began protesting earlier in the day and, according to the National Republican Guard (NRG), at 7:30 am several roads in the country were blocked, including the A25, in Guarda, with a concentration of 200 tractors between the Leomil Crossroads and Vilar Formoso. bringing together farmers from all over the interior of Beira.