The Azores Agricultural Federation has appealed to Portugal’s highest political authorities to release promised financial assistance, warning that continued delays are adding to the economic pressures facing the archipelago’s agricultural sector.
The Azores Agricultural Federation (FAA) is demanding that the Portuguese Government release €23 million in outstanding agricultural assistance by December 31, 2026, warning that continued delays are placing additional pressure on farmers already struggling with rising production costs. In a formal letter addressed to the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and political parties, Federation President Jorge Rita called for the implementation of financial support promised to Azorean producers who were excluded from extraordinary assistance granted to mainland farmers following the economic disruptions caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The disputed assistance includes direct financial support and tax benefits associated with agricultural diesel, intended to offset increases in fuel, fertilizers, animal feed, and other essential production expenses. According to the Federation, Azorean farmers faced the same economic pressures as their mainland counterparts but did not receive equivalent support, despite the additional costs associated with geographical isolation and transporting agricultural supplies to the islands.
Jorge Rita recalled that the Portuguese Government had acknowledged the unequal treatment and committed to correcting it. Article 143 of Law No. 73-A/2025, which approved the 2026 State Budget, incorporated that commitment, but the Federation maintains that the funds have yet to be transferred. The organization considers the delay particularly troubling because the assistance was intended to address financial pressures already experienced by agricultural producers.
The Federation emphasized that agriculture remains fundamental to the Azorean economy, supporting employment, food production, rural communities, and regional economic stability. Dairy farming and livestock production, in particular, are central to the archipelago’s agricultural activity, making sustained increases in production expenses especially consequential for family farms and the wider rural economy.
In its appeal, the FAA urged national authorities to complete the transfer of funds to the Autonomous Region of the Azores and ensure their distribution to farmers before the end of the year. The organization warned against allowing another year to conclude without implementing a commitment already recognized in national legislation.
The dispute also highlights the structural challenges facing agriculture in Europe’s outermost regions, where transportation expenses, dependence on imported production materials, and limited economies of scale can intensify the effects of international economic instability. For the Federation, equitable access to national agricultural support is essential to preventing geographical disadvantages from becoming additional economic inequalities.
With the December deadline approaching, the central demand is straightforward: that a financial commitment already acknowledged by the Portuguese Government be translated into actual payments. For Azorean farmers, the €23 million represents more than overdue assistance. It is a question of equitable treatment, economic sustainability, and recognition of a sector that continues to sustain the livelihoods, landscapes, and rural communities of the nine islands.
Based on a story in Diário dos Açorees-Paulo Viveiros-director. The photo is also from DA.