Alenquer, Portugal, Feb. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - Around 400 hectares of vineyards in the municipality of Alenquer have been affected by bad weather in recent weeks, compromising this year's harvest, the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Wine Commission (CVRLVT) warned on Wednesday.
The 400 hectares of vineyards affected represent a loss of €1.7 million, according to the losses reported to the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRLVT) and cited in a statement by the CVRLVT.
According to the Wine Commission, ‘these figures already compromise this year's campaign (...) in Alenquer and place several farms in a situation of high financial vulnerability’.
The 400 hectares affected include areas where landslides, subsidence, and soil deformation have occurred, destroying structures (posts and wires) and damaging drainage systems and internal accesses, preventing the movement of machinery and compromising essential operations at the start of the growing cycle.
In addition to restoring production potential, CVRLVT warned that ‘the economic survival of a significant proportion of the 2,000 family farms, cooperatives and companies that sustain employment, population retention and economic activity in strategic rural areas is at stake’.
For CVRLVT, ‘these impacts come at a particularly critical time for the national and regional wine sector’, when it faces an international situation marked by a structural decline in consumption in the main markets, downward pressure on prices paid to producers, a significant increase in energy, labour and production factor costs, a growing need for investment in adaptation to climate change and strong pressure on farms' cash flow due to the accumulation of stocks.
‘The occurrence of these extreme phenomena aggravates an already complex and fragile economic situation,’ concluded that entity, therefore requesting support.
Meanwhile, 22 more municipalities have joined the 68 municipalities covered by the state of calamity declared by the Government in January in the areas affected by bad weather, according to an order published on Tuesday in Diário da República.
The 22 municipalities are Alcoutim, Alenquer, Almeirim, Alpiarça, Anadia, Arganil, Arruda dos Vinhos, Azambuja, Baião, Benavente, Cartaxo, Castelo de Paiva, Chamusca, Coruche, Faro, Mafra, Monchique, Mortágua, Oliveira do Hospital, Salvaterra de Magos, Sobral de Monte Agraço and Tábua.
In the decree, the government recalls that during the months of January and February, the mainland was ‘successively affected by several intense and abnormal meteorological phenomena, which resulted in persistent rainfall with profound implications for the stability of the affected regions’.
The state of calamity is the most serious of three states and, according to the legislation, "may be declared when, in view of the occurrence or danger of occurrence of a serious accident and/or catastrophe, and its foreseeable intensity, the need to adopt exceptional measures aimed at preventing, reacting to or restoring normal living conditions in the areas affected by its effects is recognised".
Eighteen people died in Portugal as a result of the passage of the Kristin, Leonardo and Marta depressions, which also caused many hundreds of injuries and displaced persons.
The total or partial destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, the fall of trees and structures, the closure of roads, schools and transport services, and the cutting off of power, water and communications, floods and inundations are the main material consequences of the storm.
The Central, Lisbon and Tagus Valley and Alentejo regions were the most affected.
FCC/ADB // ADB.
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