The Portuguese National Budget for 2026 was presented yesterday. It does not include any support for Azorean farmers through the POSEI program. The Minister of Agriculture and the Sea even stated that this support should come from the European Union. Jorge Rita, President of the Azores Agricultural Federation, expressed his dissatisfaction with these statements, but assured that the situation of Azorean farmers is guaranteed due to agreements signed with the Regional Government, stating that: “so far, we understand the President of the Azores Government. I hope he does not disappoint us and fulfills the commitment he made to farmers.”

The Minister of Agriculture did not guarantee additional POSEI aid payments to Azorean farmers in 2026, unlike this year.

The state budget for next year does not include funds for additional POSEI aid payments to the Azores. The information was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture in the Assembly of the Republic, where José Manuel Fernandes also did not commit to supporting Azorean farmers due to increased production costs caused by the war in Ukraine.

The Minister of Agriculture and the Sea says he cannot guarantee that next year, farmers in the Azores will continue to receive additional POSEI aid as they did this year.

“The Minister of Agriculture never made that commitment, that’s the first point, because he can’t, because he’s not going to send money from the Minister of Finance. What is true is that, also for the first time in 2025, there was a state budget providing this additional aid for POSEI,” he said.

Francisco César questioned the Minister of Agriculture and the Sea on the occasion. “There was also a commitment in the air, on the part of the Regional Secretary, that the Government of the Republic would continue to guarantee these supplementary payments so that there would be no apportionment in the coming years regarding the implementation of this program. Is this the case or not, is the government willing to continue the supplementary support?”

In response to the insistence, the minister said that it should be the European Union that guarantees support for POSEI, since these are outermost regions.“The Government will not forget POSEI or the outermost regions, but the European Union cannot forget the treaties and Article 349, which contains a specific article for the outermost regions.”

Francisco César also wanted to know when the Government of the Republic intends to transfer funds to Azorean farmers due to the increase in production costs caused by the war in Ukraine. Still, the Government of the Republic says that this failure was the fault of António Costa’s government.

“It was the responsibility of the Socialist Party government. There was legislation that allowed for exceptional state aid in view of the war in Ukraine. Do you know what the Socialist Party government did? It used these authorizations and this aid only for the mainland.”

In response to these statements, Jorge Rita, President of the Azores Agricultural Federation, speaking to Antena 1 Açores, said that “someone must be lying, and blind politics is not about lying, much less those who work daily with great sacrifice, dedication, and passion, which is the agricultural sector. It cannot and should not be deceived by ministers, secretaries, or presidents. The truth of this situation must be restored, and the apportionments, regardless of whether the Government of the Republic pays them or not, must be guaranteed by the Autonomous Region of the Azores Plan, which is in the partnership agreement that I signed with this clause and this obligation.”

According to Jorge Rita, this situation “will not be a problem, because farmers will continue to receive the apportionments. At the very least, it is guaranteed until 2028. The Regional Government should sort this out, as it has sorted out other matters, even in a very proactive way in some solutions. For farmers, things often drag on. It is a situation that, in my view, is very troubling for the Regional Government of the Azores.“

”The current Prime Minister, the current Minister of Agriculture, and the current President of the Regional Government promised us that this situation would be safeguarded, and it has been until today. I am also beginning to suspect that these funds may have been transferred to other sectors of activity in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. I am not sure, but I am beginning to have doubts,” said the President of the Azores Agricultural Federation, regarding the support that should have been provided due to the war in Ukraine, which never arrived.

When asked if he was going to ask the government for clarification, Jorge Rita was emphatic: “Clearly. We are communicating a situation and discussing the Plan, on which I have not yet given my final opinion as President of the Federation. I was waiting for a response, and this week we will give our final opinion. Everything is pointing towards a negative opinion.”

Jorge Rita told our newspaper that “the secretary assured me yesterday (Monday) that the situation of the 16 million, which could reach 19 million, was guaranteed by the Government of the Republic. That situation has been clarified. The Regional Government, through the partnership agreement, has an obligation to pay. Let the Government of the Republic sort it out. Given the latest public news, the Regional Government is paying bills that the Government of the Republic will pay, and so I see no reason why this should not apply to farmers.”

Regarding the support that should have been delivered due to the war in Ukraine, the President of the Agricultural Federation regretted that this support has not yet arrived. “I deeply regret that the situation of the 19 million, derived from the war in Ukraine, plus the 3.3 million in agricultural diesel, which this Government of the Republic, since taking office, has never paid, given that it says that the responsibility lies with the PS Government. This is true, but they also agreed to pay, and neither the Regional Government has done anything about it, nor has the Government of the Republic paid the farmers yet. There is no such positive discrimination for farmers in the Azores on the part of the Government of the Republic. The Regional Government must have the capacity to assert itself and also make claims on behalf of farmers in the Azores and assume responsibility in this matter.”

“So far, we understand the President of the Azores Government. I hope he does not disappoint us and fulfills the commitment he made to farmers,” concluded Jorge Rita, President of the Agricultural Federation.

In Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.