Portugal’s Northern Farmers and Shepherds Association revealed today that 50% of members have reduced their flocks and 20 per cent have stopped farming altogether due to a lack of water and a shortage of cereals to feed the animals. “We’re in a complicated phase due to the lack of water and then there’s the problem of feeding the animals. There’s a shortage of hay and straw, a lot of the straw came from Spain and this year the Spanish are having the same problem, so it’s proving problematic. In fact, many of our members are getting rid of their animals because they have no way of feeding them. More than 50 per cent are reducing their livestock and 20 per cent have even finished with their herds of small ruminants, sheep and goats,” said João Morais, speaking to Lusa.
50% of farmers in north reduce herds, 20% sell up due to drought, feed shortage
This is a drama that will have untold repercussions... image: Lusa, earlier this summer in the Alentejo
