Portuguese farmers have been demonstrating with agricultural machinery on the roads of various parts of the country since 6 am on Thursday, demanding “fair conditions” and “performance assessment”, it was announced this Wednesday.
According to a statement released on Wednesday, it is an initiative of the so-called Portuguese Civil Farmers’ Movement, which bills itself as “a spontaneous and non-partisan civil movement uniting farmers and civil society in defense of the primary sector.”
“On February 1, from 6:00 am, farmers will take to Portuguese roads with agricultural machinery to fight for the human right to adequate food, for fair conditions and for increasing the value of activities,” the statement said.
Inviting “all civil society to attend and support this cause,” Portuguese farmers say they are “united and ready to defend themselves against the constant attacks on sustainability, food sovereignty and rural life.”
At issue are cuts to payments to farmers under the Common Strategic Plan for Agricultural Policy (PEPAC), which has led the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP) to accuse the Ministry of Agriculture of incompetence due to programming errors.
“Due to avoidable programming errors, due to incorrectly defined targets regarding the area of benefiting from support provided to organic agriculture and eco-integrated production schemes, which was below demand on a monthly basis, there was a reduction in payments to farmers by 35% and 25 % respectively,” CAP said in a statement released last Thursday.
Stressing that the Common Agricultural Policy (PAC), created in 1962, “represents a partnership between the agricultural sector and society, and between European farmers and Europe”, the Portuguese Civil Farmers Movement emphasizes that its aim is “to support farmers and improve the productivity of the agricultural sector, ensuring a stable supply of food at affordable prices.”
In this sense, it demands “an immediate replacement of aid” and “the assumption of treaty obligations”, and also calls for a revision of PEPAC and its adaptation “to Portuguese reality”.
Farmers are also advocating for agricultural policy, using medium- and long-term recommendations to ensure sector stability, budget allocations “matched to each component”, environmental schemes appropriate to each territory, convergence with European Union averages, a review of the payment calendar and a reduction in licensing bureaucracy (Farmers counter).
Farmers’ demands also include recognition of environmental services, factors of production “at fair and competitive prices” (especially fuel), increasing the cost of products from the manufacturer, and applying the same European Union rules to the import of agricultural products. third countries and that agriculture is part of the Citizenship subject in schools.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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