The Ministry of Agriculture announced an exceptional support of 12 million euros for Douro winegrowers, approved in Council of Ministers on September 4. The ordinance with the rules for accessing the measure has already been signed by the Minister of Agriculture and sent for publication in the Official Gazette. The support aims to compensate producers who cannot sell all their grapes in the 2026-2027 campaign, due to current market difficulties.
The payment will be made directly by the Institute of Wines of the Douro and Porto (IVDP), calculated based on the quantity of grapes that remain unharvested. The amount will be determined by comparing the declared production in 2026 with the average production of each winegrower over the five previous campaigns, with support limited to 1,125 euros per hectare. Winegrowers must identify the plots covered in their application and keep the grapes in the vineyard until verification by IVDP, receiving the support in a single payment after the on-site control.
Marketing problems for grapes worsened this year in the Douro region. There are winegrowers who cannot find buyers, others who only manage to sell the grapes intended for the benefit, meaning the quantity of must that each can use for Port wine production, in addition to complaining about the low prices paid for grapes.
On the other side, sector operators warn of stock accumulation and declining wine sales. The Government states that this exceptional scheme is part of a set of measures to normalize the wine sector, protect the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the region, and preserve the cultural and landscape heritage of the Duriense area.
