Lisbon, Nov. 23, 2025 (Lusa) - The president of the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP) highlighted the "revolutionary courage" of the Água que Une (Water that Unites) strategy, but called for the prime minister's involvement to ensure that it is effectively implemented.
"I can only applaud this strategy presented by the government because it represents enormous courage. I would say revolutionary courage, if it is put into practice," said Álvaro Mendonça e Moura in an interview with Lusa, marking the 50th anniversary of the confederation.
On 9 March, the government presented the Água que Une (Water that Unites) strategy, which contains nearly 300 measures aimed at the efficient management of water resources. The strategy, which is based on efficiency, resilience and intelligence, has a 15-year timeframe and aims to add more than 1 billion cubic metres (m3) of water for all uses in the country.
The Água que Une strategy includes programmes to reduce water losses, the reuse of treated water, innovation and digitisation of the water cycle, the rehabilitation and restoration of rivers and streams, the reinforcement of storage, the efficiency of hydro-agricultural projects, the management of supply to the Sines industrial hub and water resilience in the Alentejo region.
Mendonça e Moura considered that the country's agricultural and forestry growth potential is "greatly multiplied" if the strategy is implemented, primarily because the investments ultimately pay for themselves.
"Alqueva is fully paid for and, every year, the State receives €339 million in tax revenue related to Alqueva. It is not possible to multiply “Alquevas”, but it is possible to replicate it, in other dimensions, and in various parts of the country," he pointed out.
He therefore insisted that, if implemented, the strategy would constitute the most important structural reform of recent decades.
The former ambassador indicated that, in Portugal, around 16% of usable agricultural land is irrigated, below Spain (23%), Extremadura (25%), Andalusia (28%), Catalonia (33%), Murcia (47%) and Valencia (52%).
In addition to irrigation, this strategy also targets rainfed agriculture; therefore, the country's growth potential depends largely on the "courage" with which this water is used.
The CAP pointed out that it is important to explain to the population the advantages of a balanced territory, "which can only be achieved with water".
Mendonça e Moura also stressed that it will only be possible to put Água que Une into practice if Prime Minister Luís Montenegro is involved. However, he noted that it is necessary to look beyond the current government's term of office.
"This government's obligation is to get this off the ground and implement it because it has a legislative term to do so, then we'll see," he concluded.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, CAP is holding a conference on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Pavilhão de Portugal in Lisbon on the theme "The evolution of Portuguese agriculture and forestry since 1975, in the context of the country's socio-economic and political change".
The event will bring together, in addition to members and partners, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to plan the future of national agriculture and forestry.
PE/ADB // ADB.
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