However, the Government has dismissed the idea. “The Government is not considering an increase in the price of Alqueva water,” the Ministry of Agriculture stated in response to ECO/Capital Verde.

The proposal has been firmly rejected by farmers' associations as well. Luís Mira, Secretary-General of the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP), said producers “should not be made to pay for EDIA’s operational deficit, particularly through water price hikes.” He pointed out that while EDIA may face financial difficulties, the State does not, as the agricultural activity supported by Alqueva generates significant tax revenues. A study commissioned by EDIA and conducted by EY earlier this year confirms that these revenues surpass the company’s losses.

Mira added that EDIA “is being well managed,” and any operational deficits should be compensated through transfers from the national budget, not through additional burdens on farmers.

The Young Farmers’ Association (AJAP) also opposed the idea, saying that “Alqueva water is not cheap” and that any rise in costs must be “technically justified, economically sustainable, and socially balanced.” AJAP warned that for producers of annual crops such as maize, tomatoes, vegetables, and forage, water could come to represent 20% to 35% of direct production costs per hectare—potentially making many operations unviable.

While Salema has suggested a differentiated pricing system based on crop type, AJAP’s director-general, Firmino Cordeiro, reiterated the organisation’s strong opposition. Given the sharp increases in fertiliser and pesticide prices, market uncertainty, and increasingly erratic weather conditions, he said any increase in the cost of water would be “simply chaotic” for farmers already under pressure.