Odemira growers' association unveils nine projects on water, housing and labour for Alentejo coast
The AHSA, which represents farm businesses in the Southwest Alentejo, presented nine projects at its second colloquium in Odemira, attended by over 150 people. They cover water security, including a proposed link between the Alqueva system and the Santa Clara dam; four collective housing units for 500 seasonal workers; a regional labour exchange; hedgerows, composting and solar-sharing energy communities. The region produces 15% of national fruit, vegetable and flower exports, and the association expects turnover of about €500 million in 2026. Its annual survey found labour shortage to be the main risk for two-thirds of companies, citing legal changes, workers leaving for other countries and limited accommodation.
ACOS to mark National Native Breeds Day with debate and regional lunch
ACOS, the Alentejo farmers' association, will mark National Native Breeds Day on 11 November at its premises. The event is run with breeders' associations for the Alentejo pig, Mertolengo and Alentejana cattle, Serpentina goat and Merino sheep, plus the Campo Branco farmers' association, and is co-funded by the Pastonatur project. A round table at 10:30 asks how native breeds can be given greater value, with a speaker for each breed. Breeders, MPs, official bodies, technicians and researchers are expected. A lunch of products from the breeds, prepared by chef João Mourato, follows. The day also forms part of the FAO's 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
Castelo Branco farm links lamb production to its own table
Quinta Beiroa, a 60-hectare property in Malpica do Tejo, in the municipality of Castelo Branco, is being developed by Artur Diogo as a project joining farming, livestock and catering. Lamb production has already started, and a future Beiroa veal line is in the planning stage. The idea follows a field-to-plate logic, with the animals raised on the estate meant to supply its own food offering.
Queijos Santiago takes five prizes at the 17th Portuguese Cheese Competition
Queijos Santiago won the most awards at this year's national cheese competition, organised by the dairy industry association ANIL, with five distinctions spanning fresh goat's cheese, cow's, sheep's and goat's cheeses of varying maturity, and a spreadable cheese. Lactifeita, Lacticôa, Lactimercados, LactoSabores and Unileite took two prizes each. Protected Designation of Origin cheeses were also honoured, namely São Jorge, Serpa and Serra da Estrela. ANIL's director-general, Maria Cândida Marramaque, said the contest gives visibility to the quality and variety of national production and to a sector investing in innovation.
Conference examines farming as a way to reshape rural land and draw young people
A conference titled "Paisagem, Território e Futuro" (Landscape, Territory and Future) started from the idea that agriculture can be more than an economic activity. Its organisers and speakers argued that farming can help transform rural areas, create value and improve the quality of the landscape, making the countryside more attractive to a new generation.
Lusosem takes soil-health solutions to regenerative agriculture event in Golegã
Lusosem took part in TERRA'26, held on 9 and 10 September at Quinta da Melhorada in Golegã under the motto "Enraizados no futuro" (Rooted in the future). The event focused on regenerative agriculture and offered a space for field demonstrations, knowledge sharing and debate on farming practices. The company presented solutions aimed at improving soil health and the profitability of crops.
Novamont Iberia presents biodegradable farming products and a new bio-based herbicide at TERRA'26
Novamont Iberia took part in the TERRA'26 fair, where it showed biodegradable and compostable solutions for agriculture. The company highlighted its Mater-Bi material and Ager-Bi Gold, a bio-based herbicide that it is now introducing to the Portuguese market.
Atlanlusi Europe launches iron-phosphate slug and snail bait approved for organic farming
Atlanlusi Europe has put Ferriforce Lesmas e Caracóis on the market, a ready-to-use bait for controlling slugs and snails. It contains 2.97% iron phosphate and carries DGAV sales authorisation no. 2369, with approval for organic production. It is cleared for a wide range of crops, from leafy vegetables, potatoes and cereals to fruit trees, vines and olives. Slugs and snails stop feeding after eating the bait and later die. The product can be spread by hand or by machine at 7 kg per hectare, up to four times per crop per season at least 14 days apart, with a one-day safety interval. It comes in 1 kg and 10 kg packs for licensed professional users.
Rice field day in Salvaterra de Magos covers breeding, weeds and new agri-environment support
The COTArroz field day took place on 22 September at the Innovation Hub in Salvaterra de Magos. It put the spotlight on three areas for rice growers: genetic improvement of varieties, control of weeds in the crop, and a new agri-environment measure aimed specifically at rice farming. The programme opened with an institutional session before moving on to the technical themes.
Sakata Seed hosts butternut squash field day on the Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira
Sakata Seed Portugal organised a field day on the Lezíria de Vila Franca de Xira to showcase butternut squash, as part of the Iberian Love Butternut initiative. The event brought together growers and other players in the supply chain, and included a hands-on harvesting experience among the squash, giving visitors a chance to learn about the crop's story.
Viseu hosts national animal science congress with 219 delegates and 120 papers
The 26th National Animal Science Congress took place in Viseu from 15 to 17 October 2026, organised by the animal science association APEZ with support from the local agricultural college, ESAV. It drew 219 students, professionals and researchers and received 120 scientific submissions, of which 23 were presented orally and 75 as posters. Thirty-four companies sponsored the event. Sessions covered production technology, pastures, genetics, nutrition and animal products, and two farm visits were included. Prizes were awarded to students and professionals, and the next edition will be held in Santarém.
Animal feed industry association holds 15th conference on raising productivity
Portugal's association of compound animal feed manufacturers, IACA, held the 15th edition of its Animal Nutrition Conference in September. Around 170 people took part. The central theme was how to raise productivity in the current context, and the event gave participants a forum to discuss the subject.
Retired Castelo Branco professor models orchard productivity with performance and efficiency curves
António Ramos, a retired coordinating professor at the Escola Superior Agrária de Castelo Branco, writes on modelling orchard productivity through performance and production-efficiency curves. The piece, in Voz do Campo's November 2026 issue, follows on from his earlier article linking such curves to fruit size. The opening lines look at how crop load affects results and how it can be expressed in the case studies.
ICL launches campaign promoting controlled-release fertiliser technology to Portuguese farmers
ICL is running a campaign under the slogan "more efficiency in every granule, control is in your hands". It centres on the company's CRF technology, which releases nutrients to crops gradually rather than all at once.
VALE, founded in 2014, brings advanced poultry equipment and technology to Portuguese farms
VALE - Soluções para Produção, Lda. was set up in 2014 with a clear aim: to supply the national market, above all the poultry sector, with distinctive equipment and technology. The company says it wants to answer the needs of a sector that keeps getting more demanding, and it presents technology and data as the route to more efficient poultry production.
Continente producers' academy holds fourth session on shoppers at Cascais store
The fourth session of the ninth edition of the Continente Producers' Club Academy took place recently at the Continente store in Cascais Shopping. Its theme was "Continente Customers". It followed earlier sessions that covered agri-food markets and sector policy, as well as production.
Continente producers visit Azambuja distribution hub to learn how supply chain works
The third session of the 9th edition of the Continente Producers' Club Academy took place at the Azambuja distribution hub under the theme "From Producer to Hub". It focused on the supply chain, logistics processes and why close ties between growers and the retailer matter.
Farming magazine director calls for a national agri-food trade fair with global reach
The director of the farming magazine Voz do Campo argues that Portugal needs a major national agri-food event aimed at buyers, distributors and decision-makers, not just another fair. He holds up Madrid's Fruit Attraction, where the Portugal Fresh association brought a sizeable group of Portuguese firms, as the model. Existing shows are seen as scattered and too tied to single regions or sectors. He says Portugal already has the diversity of products, climates and protected designations (PDO, PGI, TSG) to anchor such a showcase, and that better irrigation, joint promotion and distribution channels must follow.
Food choices, education and supply-chain cooperation linked to healthier, longer lives
Living longer and in better health depends on what people choose to eat. Achieving that calls for a balance between food education, access to good-quality products, and cooperation among farmers, industry and retailers.
