Access to the Bemposta border in the municipality of Mogadouro, Bragança district, has returned to normal after traffic was restricted on Thursday afternoon due to a protest by farmers.
“Farmers need to take care of their crops and animals, and this situation led to the demobilization of tractors and implements earlier” during the protest, which affected traffic near the border with Bemposta, said Dario Mendes, a representative of local men, according to a representative of local men . where demobilization began around 6:30 p.m.
At 17:00, Lusa counted about two dozen tractors standing on the national road (EN 221-7) connecting Bemposta to the border with the Spanish town of Fermoselhe, obstructing the passage of cars and trucks.
During the day, about 60 tractors and other agricultural equipment moved to restrict access to the Bemposta border.
The group, which departed from the access point of the additional route (IC) 5 to Mogadouro at 12:30 and took about 45 minutes to reach the border with Bemposta, gathered farmers from Planalto Mirandes (Mogadouro, Miranda do Douro and Vimioso) and also from the Douro Superior, namely Torre de Moncorvo and Freixo de Espada a Cinta.
Farmers are demanding “timely payment of support from the General Strategic Plan for Agricultural Policy (PEPAC), the re-opening of young farmer projects that have been suspended since March 2022, the announced payment of the vaunted “bazooka for agriculture”. two years ago and agricultural diesel at 50 cents,” explained farmer Gilberto Pintado.
The protest 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).