Brussels, May 26, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's agriculture minister, José Manuel Fernandes, called on Tuesday in Brussels for a European solution to the problem of fertiliser prices and scarcity in the European Union (EU), which are essential for agricultural production.

The minister welcomed the European Commission's plan, telling journalists on the sidelines of the EU agriculture ministers' meeting that a “European plan” is important as “European challenges need European solutions.”

The minister said the crisis reserve (an EU fund for agricultural emergencies) totals €200 million, which the 27 member states will share according to a formula the EU has yet to disclose.

Portugal, therefore, advocates mobilising the “hundreds of millions of euros” available in agricultural funds that some member states have not used.

The minister also called for investment in research to achieve greater European autonomy in fertiliser production.

He cited the conversion of algae, including invasive species, to produce fertilisers, and the conversion of “livestock effluent” within a circular economy, provided the EU changes its directives.

The war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran, which closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, drove up fertiliser prices, according to Eurostat (the EU's statistical office). 

Prices worsened throughout 2025, rising 8% in the final quarter of the year compared with the same period in 2024.

The EU suspended tariffs for one year on imports of the main nitrogen-based fertilisers for agricultural production and raw materials for fertilisers, such as urea and ammonia.

IG/LYT // ADB.

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