The Government paid 60 million euros to farmers, following requests for advances under the rural development programs (PDR) , operational of fruit and vegetables and support to the wine sector, compared to covid - 19, was announced.
“The agricultural sector has already implemented several measures. Advances to payment requests under the Rural Development Program (PDR) 2020, the fruit and vegetable operational programs and the national wine sector program [totalizam] 60 millions of euros paid to date ”, indicated the Minister of Agriculture, during a hearing in the parliamentary committee on Agriculture and Sea.
Maria do Céu Albuquerque, who started her intervention by guaranteeing that the priority of the ministry and the government is to ensure the functioning of the agricultural and agri-food sectors, added that the procedures between the Ministry of Agriculture bodies and farmers were made more flexible, for example, by extending the deadlines for applications for support.
Additionally, the Government withdrew from the market some fruits to balance the offer, supporting the producers concerned, delivering these foods to private institutions of social solidarity and to the Food Bank.
To monitor the impact of the pandemic on the sector, a group was also created, together with the Ministry of Economy, to monitor and assess supply and retail conditions, as well as an internal group at the Ministry of Agriculture to monitor functioning of the food chain.
“In order to respond to this context, a plan of exceptional measures was developed. This plan is the result of a wide range of contributions, including the consultation of working groups and confederations in the agricultural sector ”, said the leader of the Ministry of Agriculture.
As pointed out by the governor, the sector was thus covered by a set of measures to support the treasury, such as credit lines, initially of 200 million euros and which currently amount to six billion euros. Within these, and with regard to the sector, applications have already been approved 31, which represent 31 millions of euros.
Additionally, the executive introduced the possibility that workers in a simplified lay-off regime (temporary suspension of contracts or reduced working hours) could develop paid activities in the agricultural sector.
"Portugal was the first country to regularize the situation of immigrant workers in order to have access to social support and guarantee continuity in our country", he noted. At the beginning of the hearing, deputy João Dias, of the PCP, party that requested the hearing of the Minister of Agriculture, defended that the current situation of the flow of food products was “complex”, stressing that an effective response from the Government.
Globally, the covid pandemic - 19 has already caused more than 140 thousand deaths and infected more than 2.1 million people in 193 countries and territories.
More than 450 one thousand patients were considered cured. Portugal registers 629 deaths associated with covid - 19 in 18. 841 confirmed cases infection, according to the daily bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) on the pandemic. Of the infected people, 1. 302 are hospitalized, of which 229 in care units intensive, and 493 were cured.