Minister says agriculture will have "largest budget ever"

The Minister of Agriculture and Sea, José Manuel Fernandes, announced that the budget for his ministry will be the largest ever, with a projected increase from 1.478 billion euros in 2026 to approximately 1.625 billion euros for 2027. He emphasized that comparing budgets with and without the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) is not serious, stating that the budget will still rise by 10% without additional funds. Fernandes noted that 825 million euros from the EU budget for farmers will not appear in the upcoming budget. He also highlighted that despite challenges like storms and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, his ministry is set to exceed its planned budget execution for the year, reaching over 1.820 billion euros. The final vote on the 2027 State Budget is scheduled for November 24.