According to a report by ECO, several foreign investors have
chosen to focus on the Alentejo and land in the north and “300 million euros of
closed operations” have been registered in the sector.
The CBRE Real Estate Market Outlook 2023 states that "many
investors have emerged at an international level", mostly
"institutional investors who are increasingly allocating part of their
portfolios to what they call natural resources. And agriculture fits into this
allocation of natural resources”.
The focus is on “farms that can be used to produce almonds
and other dried fruits and for olive groves”, these are “at the top of the list
of the crops most sought after by this type of investors”. These are “very
sophisticated farmers at a global level who want to invest in agriculture not
only in Portugal but in the Iberian Peninsula”.
Alentejo (and North)
Foreigners have Portugal in their sights because the country
has “very interesting advantages”, such as access to water resources. For this
very reason, Francisco Horta e Cunha highlights the Alentejo, in particular, “the entire Alqueva irrigation perimeter. We have a competitive advantage,” he
says.
“Then there are also investments in the Costa Alentejana for
other types of crops (such as red fruits) and in the Algarve (more for
avocados)”. In the North, the consultant adds that even with more rocky and
difficult terrains to work in, there are areas where more expressive productions
are verified, as is the case of Fundão, Castelo Branco and Idanha a Nova.