In the last ten days of October, compensation will be paid for the animals that were insured with ELGA and lost in the floods, as announced by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, in a meeting with livestock associations of the Region of Thessaly.

“We started sectoral meetings, organized with the breeders, with the cooperators. There will be a separate meeting with cotton producers, grain producers with industrial tomato producers, with beekeepers, with fisheries, with geotechnicians and a separate meeting tomorrow late afternoon with the owners of agricultural supply stores and some other smaller meetings, which are on the way said Mr. Avgenakis. “There will be an official briefing, which will take place tomorrow afternoon at 4.30 and specific frameworks will be given, as well as advance prices that the entire local community is looking for and waiting for, which has actually been affected and we share their anxiety and their painhe added.

According to data released, damage declarations submitted by livestock farmers amounted to 2,201. These concern losses of goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, birds and of course beehives and bee colonies. In their statements, the breeders also report damage to their facilities and equipment.

The minister in charge emphasized, among other things: “We are determined to do the right thing with the greatest force we currently have and of course with Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the forefront. And we are here because we all trust Kostas Agorastos”.

At the same time, during the meeting, the financial tools that will be used to compensate the livestock farmers of Thessaly who were damaged by the catastrophic weather events of the last month were announced.

According to an announcement by the FSA, the financial tools that will be used are the following:

1. In application of the provisions of the provisions of measure 5.2 of the PAA 2014-2022, those breeders who submit an application for the purchase of livestock will be financed, with the aim of quickly starting their activity. The costs for the creation of new stable facilities will also be financed from the same measure. This measure, as the HYPAAT said, gives us the possibility to buy animals at no cost to the breeders and to rebuild stable facilities – and indeed with the support of the government.

2. From the agricultural reserve of 2023, amounting to 15.8 million euros, the government also takes care of those who could not insure the production of specific animals, such as pigs and birds. These producers will be compensated for their reported lost production or livestock.

3. The HYPAAT will immediately introduce a legislative regulation that will provide for the non-disposal of compensations.

4. For two years the livestock farmers of Thessaly are exempt from the milk and meat contribution fee to ELGO – DIMITRA.

5. The signing of the MOU on state compensations for the loss of livestock due to diseases is expected, where in the Region of Thessaly they account for around 2 million euros.

6. In the upcoming bill of the HYPAAT, there is care for simplifying the establishment and operation of livestock parks which will operate with specific rules that meet the well-being and hygiene of the animals. With their creation, it is estimated that there will be economies of scale and optimization of production and the economic viability of livestock farmers

7. OPEKEPE will suspend inspections in the Region for a reasonable period of time

It is also pointed out that producers who declared damage to their facilities and equipment are compensated by decisions of the government’s State Aid Committee. Some of them have already received the first advance payment and the process will continue with the further assessment of damage declarations, for all beneficiaries.

According to the announcement of the FSAAT, the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Triandopoulos, urged livestock farmers who have suffered damage to equipment, raw materials and land capital, to submit statements to arogi.gov.gr, in order to receive the first aid of 4,000 euros. Unfortunately, as he noted, only 80 farmers have received first aid.

At the same time, Christos Triandopoulos reminded that there was emergency financing of OTAs, amounting to 3.7 million euros for the purchase of animal feed, which was promoted to livestock farmers in difficult conditions, even using aerial or floating means.

The meeting with the livestock farmers was also attended by the Deputy Ministers Dionysis Stamenitis and Stavros Keletsis, the Deputy Minister of Civil Protection and Climate Crisis Christos Triandopoulos, the Governor of Thessaly Kostas Agorastos, the MPs Thanasis Lioutas, Christos Kellas, Christos Kapetanos, Christos Boukoros, Kostas Tsiaras, Katos erina Papakosta, Giorgos Kotsos and Aristotelis Spanias.

The general secretaries of the Ministry of AAT, Giorgos Stratakos, Costas Baginetas and Dimitris Papagiannidis, the president of ELGA Andreas Lykourentzos and the managing director of ELGO – DIMITRA, Panagiotis Hatjinikolou, also participated in the meeting.

Finally, it is noted that tomorrow at 4.30 pm, the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, will make announcements about the amount of advances that will be given as compensation.