"The olive sector in terms of exports, in 2023, surpassed the one billion euro mark, which is an impressive value and above that of wine. Obviously, this was also achieved because olive oil prices were very high", stated Gonçalo Morais Tristão.

The official was speaking in Valpaços, district of Vila Real, on the sidelines of the 7th edition of the National Olive Oil Congress, which will be attended by the Minister of Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, at the closing session.

According to the organization's data, since 2000, national olive oil production has more than quintupled and exports have increased more than 12 times, surpassing the one billion euro mark in 2023.

"I hope that this new Government understands the importance of the olive sector, which contributes a lot to the Portuguese economy", he said.

And, in this sense, Gonçalo Morais Tristão listed some measures requested by the sector, such as, for example, the elimination of obstacles so that investment projects in new olive groves and oil mills can benefit from community funding.

The official explained that, for the past five years, projects in the sector have been excluded from investment support measures, an "ideological" decision that he said is a consequence of the "demonization of olive grove culture".

Gonçalo Morais Tristão also defended the unblocking of the role of the Interprofessional Association of the Olive Sector (AIFO), allowing it to obtain funding for the enhancement and promotion of Portuguese olive oil.

"Spain has an interprofessional association that is attacking the Brazilian market. They are doing an impressive promotion in Brazil, a market that has always been ours, and now our exporters to Brazil are feeling this attack from Spain", he said.

Therefore, he insisted, the ministry should eliminate the "obstacles to the development of AIFO's activity".

The leader also defended an increase in support for traditional olive groves and, finally, stressed that water is a "very big challenge" for this sector and for agriculture in general, which is why he asked the Government to expand the areas of irrigation where possible and some dams.

"I am not advocating that dams should be built all over the country, but there are sites identified by the previous ministry where irrigation could be expanded. It was important that this Government, basically, continued this work that the previous one did, planned and, now, it is necessary to take action", he defended.

And he gave an example that an olive grove with irrigation produces "incommensurably more".

"A traditional olive grove produces two tons per hectare and a super-intensive olive grove, or hedge olive grove, produces 15, 16, 17 tons per hectare", he specified.

Organized by CEPAAL, in partnership with the Valpaços City Council, the National Olive Oil Congress takes place within the scope of the National Olive Growing Fair, which runs from today until Sunday.

Leia Também: Apesar do aumento vertiginoso do preço do azeite consumo caiu 11% em 2023 (Portuguese version)