"Our goal, as a Government, is to improve the farmers' income, to take advantage of all our potential", said José Manuel Fernandes, who was speaking on the sidelines of the 7th edition of the National Olive Oil Congress.

In what was his first visit to the district of Vila Real as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, José Manuel Fernandes defended a diversification of markets for olive oil.

"One of the goals is precisely to increase production and even diversify the markets that are very dependent on both Spain and Brazil", he said.

José Manuel Fernandes also highlighted the challenges that must be overcome in this sector, namely climate change and drought, and therefore announced that the Government's programme includes a plan for the storage and efficient supply of water.

At an event where olive oil, production and price were highlighted, the minister also pointed to the promotion of olive oil internationally and stressed that "Compete 2030 should also help" in this challenge.

Today, the president of the Centre for Studies and Promotion of Alentejo Olive Oil (CEPAAL), Gonçalo Morais Tristão, 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.

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

In his speech at the closing session of the congress, José Manuel Fernandes gave a guarantee.

"In what depends on the Ministry of Agriculture, your interprofessional organisation of the sector will be able to apply for funds and have a strategy for internationalisation, and it will have our full support. We will never be, at that level, an obstacle", he said.

But, as the minister added, the "Government is also doing something else, which is to simplify, to reduce bureaucracy".

"We have an ordinance that will be published next week that will help, for example, farmers with less than 10 hectares who will no longer be subject to sanctions and conditionality rules", he exemplified.

In addition, he pointed out that the Government will also move towards what he called simplified costs.

"We will also move towards payment against invoice, and our goal in this simplification also has another point, which is to simplify licensing", he added.

According to the organisation, the National Olive Oil Congress aims to "contribute to the revitalisation of the national olive and olive oil sector, one of the most important in the national economy".

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.

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

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