Despite the effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, exports from the Portuguese agri-food sector had a positive behavior throughout 2020. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) of Portugal, the agri-food complex closed the year with 2.5% growth in exports.

If we look only at agriculture, the growth is even higher. In the accumulated from January to December, when compared with the same period of 2019, exports increased by 5.5%.

Regarding the data of the agri-food complex by type of product - during the last year, compared to the same period in 2019 - we find that the exports of "Live Animals" grew (20.9%), "meat, offal, edible ”(15.7%) were the product groups that increased the most in percentage. For its part, "live plants and floriculture products" grew by 8.8%, "nuts, citrus fruits and melons" grew by 6.3% and "wines and musts" by 3.2%.

The Portuguese Minister of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes, considers that these data "show the resilience and work capacity of Portuguese farmers and the entire agri-food sector." But they also reveal the effectiveness of the crisis measures adopted to support the sector.

It is recalled that the Ministry of Agriculture launched, throughout 2020, several support measures, in alliance with the agents of the sector. In the case of wine, a package of crisis measures was created amounting to 18 million euros (12 million for wine distillation, 6 million for crisis storage) and also a specific measure for the Demarcated Region of the Duero, with the creation of a qualitative port wine reserve, for which 5 million euros were made available.

The "cut flowers and ornamental plants" sector was also supported with the creation of a line of credit with subsidized interest amounting to 20 million euros. In turn, within the framework of the Fruits and Vegetables Operational Program, the Withdrawal from the Market measure was expanded, specifically for red fruits, with the support of 40% of the average value in the last five years. Within the EAFRD, a package worth € 12.2 million was launched to support the poultry and egg sector: € 7.1 million; pork: 2.9 million euros; and the small ruminant milk sector: 2.2 million euros.

The head of the Agriculture portfolio highlights that “the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) contributes to the resilience and greater capacity of the agricultural sector to respond to crises, such as the one we are going through, through specific measures, such as those we have been adopting and that allow not only to respond, but also to promote the recovery of the most fragile sectors. We will continue to closely monitor our producers so that, at all times, we can continue to provide the means and actions necessary for agriculture to continue feeding those who have always fed us ”.