The increase in the world’s population and the impacts of climate change have highlighted the discrepancy between the amount of food produced and the mouths to feed, taking agriculture to the forefront in the fight for sustainability and food self-sufficiency. In order for farmers to be able to “do more with less”, it is necessary to ensure “income reinforcement” and lighten the burden of bureaucracy, defended José Manuel Fernandes, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
The review of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (PEPAC) is among the Government’s action measures and already plans to change “the average yield per hectare from €80 to €126”, in addition to the recent approval of an additional €60 million per year until 2029 to increase farmers’ incomes.
“We want all funds to help agriculture”, he said, warning that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding alone “cannot do everything”. As for climate objectives, it is necessary to involve professionals in the sector in this path so that they are achieved as quickly as possible, but in a viable way.
“The farmer cannot be burdened with bureaucracy and cannot be asked to do what he does not have the finances to do”, warned the minister, saying that in the last 10 years the agri-food deficit in Portugal has tripled from €1100 million to €3300 million : “We need to be aware that this harms our food security”.
For Firmino Cordeiro, general director of AJAP, the evolution towards “increasingly greener and cleaner” agriculture is a topic that professionals in the sector are aware of, but it is not possible to do it “too much” under penalty of get “run over”. The new requirements also imply specific training and investment, for example, in precision agriculture. “We need to teach our farmers so they understand that it is possible to produce more with less”.
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