The increase in orange thefts in the Algarve is worrying producers in the region, especially in the municipality of Silves, where several farms have reported large losses in recent weeks. According to , some farmers are already talking about dozens of tons being taken from orchards, in a phenomenon that intensifies with the arrival of summer.
The situation coincides with the strengthening of tourist movement in the region and, according to producers, the stolen fruit will be sold in street sales along the EN125, one of the busiest roads in the Algarve.
Thousands of euros in losses
One of the most significant cases is that of the company Parafrutas, where those responsible estimate losses of around 20 tons in just one of the orchards. Nuno Evangelista, son of the owner, calculated the financial impact. “We estimate a loss of around 20,000 euros,” he told the newspaper, explaining that production at this stage of the campaign is aimed at export to European markets.
Although thefts have occurred occasionally since the beginning of the 2025/2026 agricultural campaign, the situation has worsened in recent days. Bruno Januário, in charge of the same company, guarantees that the pace has increased significantly. “The last week has been too much. In eight days we caught six people stealing from our properties”, he revealed, describing a scenario that is beginning to worry the entire sector.
Illegal sales raise alerts
Producers believe that the thefts are carried out by organized groups, heading directly to makeshift tents near the road. In addition to the economic loss, there is another concern: food security.
Bruno Januário explains that many of these oranges may be being sold shortly after agricultural treatments. “Many of these oranges for sale illegally have less than 24 hours of treatment, which could harm the health of the end consumer”, he warned.
It’s not just orange
The problem doesn’t just affect citrus fruits. Pedro Cabrita, also a producer in Silves, says that every year he faces theft at this time, but not just of oranges. “In addition to oranges, they steal my nuts. It’s a huge loss, it’s difficult to combat this problem,” he said, adding that permanent surveillance is not always enough to prevent theft.
Faced with the increase in complaints, the Regional Agriculture Federation is preparing a meeting with security forces and other entities to try to find answers to the problem. Correio da Manhã writes that the GNR received only two formal complaints in the last month, one of them in Algoz, which resulted in the arrest of a suspect. Still, producers admit that many cases end up not being reported.
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