Farmers’ protest forces the cutting of the junction with the A4 and IP2 motorways in Macedo de Cavaleiros.

Farmers protesting in Macedo de Cavaleiros in Bragança district, which has already caused the closure of the A4 motorway, will meet this Thursday and Monday with the Minister of Agriculture, a source from the organization said.

Following the announcement, the organization asked protesters to demobilize “in an orderly manner” and “following instructions from the authorities.”

“Let’s meet her [referindo-se à ministra da Agricultura, Maria do Céu Antunes] Today [esta quinta-feira] at noon in Camara de Macedo [de Cavaleiros] via “online” and we will have a meeting on Monday afternoon [presencial] scheduled for 16:00 also in the Macedo Hall,” said Armindo Lopez, a spokesman for the organization of this protest.

Addressing dozens of farmers who this Thursday from early morning concentrated agricultural machines and tractors on the A4 motorway, Armindo López announced at around 10:15 am that the chief of staff of Maria do Ceu Antunes entered Contact us to schedule appointments.

“The chief of staff wanted the meeting to take place in Mirandela, but we started it in Macedo. [de Cavaleiros]so we will end in Macedo,” he noted.

When the meeting was scheduled, the organization decided to demobilize the protest.

“We are going to demobilize. We ask everyone to demobilize in an orderly manner. The demonstration went well. We came alone and managed to get a meeting with the minister,” Armindo Lopez said.

In response, farmers applauded and phrases such as “Victory is ours.”

This Thursday, dozens of farmers cut the A4 highway between the Lamas and Amendoeira intersections in both directions.

An alternative to driving is the national roads, namely EN15.

Farmers placed tractors and farm equipment on the road, and a network of fences was torn down.

A GNR source told Lusa that some people have already been identified.

The protest, which seeks a guarantee from the guardianship that child support payments for 2023 will be paid this month, comes as farmers march slowly across Europe demanding measures such as higher import taxes and cuts to bureaucracy.

In Portugal, farmers in the north are demanding specific measures for the region, namely the allocation of sufficient funds for each area and the installation of anti-hail towers.

“We want her [referindo-se à ministra da Agricultura, Maria do Céu Antunes] say in writing and clearly emphasize that the support for 2023 will be paid by the end of February,” said Luis Reis, also from the organization of this protest, early in the morning.

The cattle producer rejected the possibility of paying child support “only in June,” a date he said appears in custody communications.

Manuel Batista, a farmer and livestock producer from Mirandela, also spoke about the industry’s survival and the region’s challenges.

“We have to speak out. Trás os Montes has agriculture and cannot become desertified. And that’s what we’re here for. I’m old enough, my children study abroad, and they don’t want to come here, and this can’t happen. just a landscape. We need someone who will look at Trás os Montes differently,” he said.

Luse, the farmer noted that he knows fellow farmers who “made investments based on last year’s payments and who, without this money, had to resort to loans.”

“They had payments due in January, but they couldn’t make them. They went to the bank. A trip to the bank for a farmer suffocates him. The Ministry of Agriculture encourages this and creates bankruptcies,” said Manuel Batista.

In Bragança, slow marches marking the morning take place at the IC5 and IP2 intersection between Macedo de Cavaleiros and Carrazeda de Anciaínes.

The organization estimates that around 300 farmers from Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mirandela, Alfandega da Fe, Vimioso, Bragança, Vinhaes, Mogadoro and Valpazos are concentrated in the Vila Real area at various protest points.