Agriculture chronically lacks workers, hiring foreigners crucial

The Portuguese Farmers’ Confederation (CAP) argues that the agricultural sector suffers from a “chronic shortage of workers” and that it is “necessary” to employ foreigners, who make up 40% of the sector’s workforce.

“The agricultural sector faces a chronic shortage of workers, which is why the employment of foreign workers is essential for the proper functioning of Portuguese agriculture,” said CAP secretary general Luis Mira in a statement to Lusa.

Based on data from the Economic Bulletin of the Bank of Portugal (BdP), the Federation estimates that the agricultural sector has nearly 50,000 employees, of which foreigners account for about 40% of the total.

Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) showed that in the second quarter, the average basic salary in the agriculture, livestock, hunting, forestry and fishing sectors was 810 euros, which is lower than the national minimum wage.

When asked about this value, Louis Mira stressed that the salaries discussed consider full-time jobs as part-time jobs and therefore include “pay for work that may last less than a month.”

For CAP, the situation also reflects the lack of labor in the industry and its seasonality.

Regarding the possibility of increasing remuneration, CAP mentioned participating in social dialogue with trade unions to promote higher wages for all workers in the Portuguese agricultural sector.

Louis Montenegro’s government recently presented an action plan for migrants and a number of measures aimed at promoting employment for migrants, such as the creation of a network of partners under the coordination of the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) to strengthen the integration of migrants who cannot find a job or have lost their employment relationship.

On the other hand, it was announced that the number of embassy attachés would be increased “with the aim of facilitating recruitment and contacting companies that want to recruit foreign workers, as well as guiding foreign workers who want to come to work in our country” in a regulated manner.

The Farmers’ Union has been advocating for strengthening the console’s human resources and developing plans to attract immigrants, considering it an “indispensable condition” for sustainable economic development.

While noting that the Migration Action Plan announced some of these goals, CAP stressed that the plan was still in its “embryonic stages” and had “no impact” on the agricultural sector to date.

“With several measures yet to be implemented, CAP hopes that these policies will guarantee a faster, more standardized and effective response in the issuance of temporary residence visas in the agricultural sector”, Luís Mira concluded.