Lisbon, Dec. 18, 2025 (Lusa) - Reducing susceptibility to rural fires in Portugal through the use of livestock grazing is the central objective of a €30 million programme presented by the government, which wants more shepherds in the country.
The Programme to Support the Reduction of Fuel Load Through Grazing was presented by the ministers for the environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, and for Agriculture and the Sea, José Manuel Fernandes, on Wednesday, both of whom recommended that the measures it contains should attract more people to the profession of shepherd and that there should be more flocks in areas that are particularly critical in terms of fires.
The programme includes support for common land (€120 per hectare), support for animals (annual supplementary payment of up to €30 per sheep or goat and up to €150 per bovine animal), with the aim of reaching 135,000 hectares under management.
It also includes support for investment in the creation of new pastures and support for the establishment of new producers, with an installation premium of €30,000, spread over five years.
Those responsible pointed out that 92% of the mainland is occupied by agricultural, forestry or agroforestry areas and that in recent decades forest areas have increased significantly. The abandonment of "active management" of the land has led to an increase in rural fires, because agricultural land decreased by 22.4% between 1989 and 2023, and livestock numbers fell by 43% over the same period.
"It is this trend that we want to help reverse through this programme," said the minister for the environment, explaining that the 30 million comes from the Environmental Fund and noting that the worsening of fires is due to climate change but also to the reduction in grazing activities.
Of the programme's annual budget of €30 million, spread over five years, about half is earmarked for supporting animals and recognising the ecosystem service they provide in eliminating fuel sources, the minister explained, highlighting the support for new shepherds, with an incentive of up to €700 per month for three years.
Stating that the Ministry for the Environment is committed to combating desertification, supporting forests and preventing fires, the minister recalled that the Government has increased its support for forest conservation from €44 million in 2024 to €82 million this year.
The Environmental Fund has set aside €151 million until 2029 to finance forest firefighting teams.
The minister of Agriculture highlighted the importance of projects such as the one presented on Wednesday for cohesion, competitiveness, environmental sustainability, but also for safety.
Also recalling the abandonment of the countryside, stating that the number of shepherds has decreased by about 40% since 2007, and that fewer workers result in more fuel load and therefore a greater probability of fires, José Manuel Fernandes said that common lands are a priority in the first phase, but that it is essential that all other areas be considered in the programme, just as "generational renewal" in pastoralism is fundamental.
"This project has one objective, which is to create an entire sector that is economically sustainable, and that is why the €30,000 for five years is to move forward with a reduction in support," he explained, adding: "Basically, we are talking about a sector that we want to be competitive, that brings cohesion, that brings generational renewal, income and that protects," because in addition to the environmental issue, it is also a "very important element of civil protection."
It is "€30 million per year that I hope will be used" in economically viable projects, he said.
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