Portugal launches fast-track aid program to boost young farmers

During the I Encontro de Jovens Agricultores held in Macedo de Cavaleiros, Agriculture Minister José Manuel Fernandes presented a new, fast-track support line designed to bring 200 new young farmers into the sector. The scheme promises simplified, unit-cost-based funding and a cut-back on administrative steps, especially concerning water-resource licences and the transfer of farm holdings, making the aid quicker to receive.

Applicants will be allowed to finalize licensing after their proposals are approved, rather than before submission. The minister also highlighted an additional program focused on generational renewal, intended to assist 2,000 young farmers, noting that numerous projects are already in progress. He stressed the need to lower the average farmer age, currently around 64, to ensure food security and modernize agriculture with technologies such as drones and precision farming.