Portuguese farmers in slow march against increasing costs

Farmers from the Castelo Branco district participated in a slow march in Fundão on Monday to protest against the increases in production costs resulting from the energy crisis and the war and to demand “strong measures” from the government.

The initiative was organized by the District Association of Farmers of Castelo Branco (ADACB), with tractors and agricultural machinery concentrating in the industrial zone of Fundão, then driving slowly to the association’s headquarters and passing through the city center.

The farmers used a megaphone and the horns of vehicles to call people’s attention to the problems they face, namely the rise in fuel, energy, feed and fertilizer prices to values “that are unheard of”, said Mesquita Milheiro, president of ADACB.

“Brutal production costs are stifling agriculture. I’ve been a farmer for 50 years, and I’ve never seen an increase in production costs like this. It is an increase of around 120%”, he stressed.
Adding that farmers are still dealing with the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and the impacts of the drought, Mesquita Milheiro stressed that the war has made the situation even worse for the rural world and demanded measures and support from the government.

“Small mitigation measures are not enough to solve a problem of this magnitude. There have to be strong measures from the government because farmers can’t continue like this”, he pointed out.
He also stressed that the increase in costs is not accompanied by the prices paid to farmers and noted that, at the moment, all sectors of the rural world are suffering the negative impacts of the increases. “Green diesel used to cost 80 cents, now it costs 1.50 euros, and this ruins any activity”, he said.

He also gave the example of a bag of fertilizer that used to cost around 20euros and now costs 50euros, or of herbicides, a 20-litre container of which has gone from 60 to 200 euros.
Mesquita Milheiro also showed concern that some farmers may decide not to sow, and some might abandon the activity. The farmers who took part in the demonstration repeated these warnings and testimonies. “This has been unsupportable. Besides diesel, feed costs almost double, and fertilizers cost almost three times as much. This way, there is no point in us working”, said Adelino Santos, who has livestock production.

João Luís Salvado also recounted the losses and demanded support from the government: “The way things are, we cannot work. No money resists. We are taking out what we had saved so as not to let everything die, but this cannot go on, and the government has to take a hand in this”.
As part of this action, ADACB will send the government a resolution “in defense of agriculture, the rural world and food sovereignty,” demanding measures and support to curb the difficulties.