Minister of Agriculture asks the European Commission for support for the Douro plan

Agriculture Minister José Manuel Fernandes today asked the EU executive for support in Brussels for the Douro River plan, which he handed over to the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen.

"I asked the Commissioner, who will analyze our plan, for the Commission's support for a robust and comprehensive plan for the Douro," the minister said in statements to journalists on the sidelines of the European Union (EU) Agricultural Council meeting.

The plan follows on from the 2024 plan, which included support measures for cooperative wineries and producers, totaling around 100 million euros.

The minister reiterated that there is an imbalance between supply and demand.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the Sea has prepared an action plan for the sustainable management and enhancement of the wine sector in the Douro Demarcated Region (RDD), with integrated actions to reduce surpluses, adjust production potential and reinforce value creation.

Complaints and warnings are mounting across the region from producers who fear they will not be able to sell their grapes this harvest or will have to sell them at low prices, while traders complain of full stocks and falling wine sales.