The Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP) advocates that the response to the crisis affecting the wine sector should cover all producing regions of the country and not just the Demarcated Douro Region, where the Government announced specific support. The organization considers that the problems faced by producers are common across the sector, including the decline in consumption, the retraction of exports, the accumulation of stocks, the increase in production costs, and treasury difficulties.
CAP expresses particular concern about the entry of bulk Spanish wine into the Portuguese market. The confederation accuses the Government of not ensuring sufficient control over these imports and warns of the impact of prices on national production. According to the organization, the entry of bulk wine from Spain, in some cases without origin certification and without adequate inspection, is causing losses of tens of millions of euros per year for Portuguese producers.
The Secretary-General of CAP, Luís Mira, states that the organization does not challenge the free movement of goods or legal imports, but demands full traceability, effective inspection and control, as well as clear information about the origin of wine sold in Portugal. The confederation also points to significant differences between the support provided to Portuguese and Spanish producers, warning that the worsening of this imbalance could increase the loss of competitiveness of the national sector.
CAP has already presented proposals of a structural nature to the Government and advocates a national strategy for the sector, accompanied by increased promotion of Portuguese wines abroad. The organization believes that measures cannot be limited to occasional support and that the State should take advantage of existing trade agreements to strengthen the presence of Portuguese wines in international markets, in order to reduce surpluses and recover the competitiveness of the different wine-producing regions.
