“We have closed the A4 and, until we have a concrete answer, we are not leaving here. We will only leave here if we have a concrete answer. We want her [referring to the Minister of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes] to say in writing and clearly underline that the 2023 support will be paid by the end of February”, said Luís Reis, from the protest organisation.

Luís Reis, who is a cattle producer, rejected the possibility of support being paid “only in June”.

“We want it to be clear today that payments are due in February,” he stressed.

According to Luís Reis, who is waiting for hundreds of farmers to arrive at the protest site, many people “in a very difficult situation are already asking for loans” to survive on a daily basis.

“There are many of us and they owe us a lot of money. We owe a lot of people. There are those who are taking out loans. If the minister gives lines of credit, then let her make the payments”, he concluded.

This protest, which began in the early hours of the morning, has already caused the A4 to be closed in both directions between the Lamas and Amendoeira interchanges, in the district of Bragança.

Alternatives to traffic are being made via national roads, namely the EN15.

Farmers moved tractors and agricultural machinery to the road and a fence network was torn down.

The organization estimates that around 300 farmers are concentrated, from Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mirandela, Alfândega da Fé, Vimioso, Bragança, Vinhais, Mogadouro and Valpaços, in the district of Vila Real at various protest points.