Portugal’s Minister of Agriculture has been reminded by the PCP parliamentary group that the Algarve is still waiting for a series of projects to be implemented to support its agriculture and fishing sectors.
In a recent session in Parliament to discuss the 2014 state budget, the PCP reminded Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Assunção Cristas, that when she was a CDU member of parliament in 2011, she spoke up about the need to create a regional slaughterhouse for the Algarve.
The PCP said the minister then referred to the slaughterhouse project as being “urgent” and vital for the region’s economic development. It was then time to remind Assunção Cristas that the “Algarve farmers are still undergoing serious difficulties, and the lack of such an infrastructure has led to higher prices for the end consumer,” said the political group.
The PCP also raised concerns about the lack of funds to promote the production of almond and figs in the Algarve, which are well accepted products in both the national and international markets. “However, smaller producers find it difficult to compete with larger distributors and supermarket chains, which are able to work on very small profit margins,” said the PCP.
Regarding the fishing industry, the communists reminded the government of the long-awaited plans to dredge the Ria Formosa, “for both environmental and economic reasons”, and the need to reach an agreement with Spain over fishing in the Guadiana River.
