Agricultural workers in Portugal saw their income drop by 3.2% in 2014 compared to the previous year.
The average across all of the 28 members of the EU was a fall of 1.7%.
Between 2005 and 2014 real agricultural income for workers rose by an average of 34.4%. At the same time, the amount of labour being required fell back by 24%.
The drop this year is likely to be due to the falling profits in agriculture due to lower prices being fetched for crops and meat products.
Significant price decreases were recorded for potatoes (25%), cereal crops (14%), sugar beet (12%), fruits (11%), olive oil (9%), fresh veg (6.5%), and wine (4%).
The lower prices were due in part to an increase in the volume of production, with olive oil up a massive 46% and all the other products were up by between 2% and 7% with the exception of wine where 3% less was produced.
Pork, beef, chicken and eggs also dropped in price.
The biggest drops in pay were in Finland (23%), Lithuania (19%), Belgium (15%), Italy (11%), and Denmark (10%).
Wages in the UK, on the other hand, were up by 7%. This increase was outstripped by three countries, namely Slovenia (13%), Hungary (9%), and the Czech Republic (7%).
Comments
But it is not just the farming sector that is skewed. As Giles points out - it is the people as well.
Often heard is the saying so well illustrating the Portuguese backwardness of the non-elite .... "We ordinary Portuguese are like crabs in a bucket. If one tries to get out (ie better himself) everyone grabs a leg and pulls him / her back."
The insurmountable problem is that EU nationals well experienced of life outside the bucket are barred from the game.
And any incomer Portuguese must wait years to be accepted back into the bucket.
But nothing holds back the Portuguese elite. As we see now daily from the BES enquiry.
Little things like professionalism, ethical behaviour, honesty and trust are for the other bankers. We are Portuguese.
One Brit trying to start an orange wine business has been crapped, fined and abused from day 1 by Silves camara goons - a camara which now is advising people how to get more grants from the EC! Grants, grants, grants is no way to run a successful business. Look at raere examples of efficiency like Vita Cress and learn, don't sit around filling in grant application forms for busiensses that will inevitable fail
Contributing nothing through their labours to the GNP. Yet taking from the social security and pensions that they never paid into. Clearly wrong in principle.
Yet the EU make no attempt to meet them halfway.
These farmers traditionally, take their surpluses to the market. This is apparently now limited due to understandable labelling and tax restrictions and such like.
What is vitally needed is radically overhauling and professionalising the farming cooperatives. Then grouping the subsistence farmers surplus into branded, quality checked, 'added value' farmers market products.
Should be simple Portugal - so get on with it! Go first to a more developed country and LEARN what they are doing ! Then do it here ...
Oh ... what am I saying ? This is Portugal.