Portuguese president praises farmers' resilience at National Agriculture Fair

Presidential visit

President António José Seguro spent around five hours at the National Agriculture Fair in Santarém on Saturday, touring pavilions, tasting products (this year's edition highlighted red fruits) and meeting producers. He declined to comment on other topics, telling journalists that valuing agriculture was the only point he wished to discuss. The visit ended with a brief address in which he repeatedly stressed the sector's strengths.

Praise for farmers' resilience

Seguro said he left "very enthusiastic about the investment capacity of Portuguese farmers" and underlined their courage.

Today being a farmer is not easy, it is not at all easy.

He listed the qualities that impressed him: technological capacity, entrepreneurship, the ability to endure and to create wealth. He also recalled the hardship caused by Storm Kristin, which hit the central region, and insisted such professionals cannot be left to cope alone.

Farmer leader's concerns

Before the president's speech, the head of the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP), Álvaro Mendonça e Moura, said 2026 had been "particularly difficult" because of bad weather early in the year and the Middle East conflict, which pushed up fuel and fertiliser prices. He pointed to a support-gap with Spain, where farmers received a package of around 500 million euros, compared with 20 million euros in Portugal. Moura welcomed Seguro warmly, joking that the fair was receiving "the first farmer president" – Seguro produces wine and olive oil in Penamacor.

Call for not leaving farmers alone

Congratulations to Portuguese farmers. They must not be left alone on this journey.

The president participated in the unveiling of a commemorative stamp honoring José Sousa Veloso, the former face of the TV Rural programme, and kept his entire public intervention focused solely on agriculture, rebuffing queries about a proposed polytechnic university in Ribatejo.