Portugal Fresh asks for maintenance of the Secretary of State for Agriculture and another for Food
Portugal Fresh — Association for the Promotion of Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers in Portugal, claims that “the agri-food sector should be given the importance it deserves” and defends “changes included” in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food that imply, not only the maintenance of the State Secretariat for Agriculture, as well as the creation of a State Secretariat for Food.
Association argues that the new structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, even if temporary, does not serve a sector that has growth ambitions and has invested for decades in entering new markets, in innovation and in the production of essential foods
The fruit, vegetables, ornamental plants and flowers sector has a turnover of 3,841 million euros and represents more than 40% of the entire agricultural sector. In 2021, exports of these products surpassed the barrier of 1,700 million euros (1,731 million euros) for the first time, reaching the highest value ever, stresses the Association in a statement.
“Without a Secretary of State for Agriculture – and also without a much-needed Secretary of State for Food – it is impossible to achieve competitiveness against the countries of Southern Europe, with which Portugal competed directly”, adds the same statement.
AN fresh portugal emphasizes that the new structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, “even if temporary, clearly does not serve a sector that has growth ambitions and has invested for decades in entering new markets, in innovation and in the production of essential foods”.
“We need a robust and competent Ministry of Agriculture and Food capable of facing the various challenges and that we work closely with the sector. We can only have the ambition to maintain the growth of the sector’s turnover and its exports, practice leadership to producers and have a global vision of the market. It is essential to reinforce our presence in the markets that most value our products and seek new opportunities in value-added markets”, defends Gonçalo Santos Andrade, president of Portugal Fresh.
Agriculture and Sea