A decrease of 13.5%, 11% and 45%, in the exports of Thessaly is recorded in oranges, tangerines and apples respectively, as the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, stated during his interventions at the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries of the EU. At the same time there is also an increase in imports, with all that this entails for the economy, noted Mr. Avgenakis.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications referred to problems faced by Greek agricultural production due to the climate and geopolitical crisis, noting at the same time that damage is recorded to kiwifruit and fruit crops. In this context, after all, Mr. Avgenakis emphasized the need to strengthen the mechanisms for dealing with crises and extraordinary events through the use of resources, inside and outside the CAP, but also the need to strengthen the tools to protect and support European producers against the consequences of the climate crisis and geopolitical instability, submitting specific proposals.

Pieria 80% destruction of kiwifruit crop

Especially in the area of ​​Pieria, which accounts for 40%-45% of Greek kiwifruit production, it is estimated that almost 80% of the expected harvest has been destroyed, which will negatively affect both the Greek market and the export dynamics of the product.

Thessaly – In the wake of Daniel

In central Greece, in the Region of Larissa, there are serious problems of fruitlessness and fruit drop in many tree crops, resulting in a reduction of the expected production. In addition, there is fruitlessness in all grape varieties, due to heavy downy mildew infestations in 2023. Besides, after the great disaster Daniel in Thessaly, among others, there are serious problems in the cultivation of cotton.

In particular, the need to reseed has arisen, due to the spring rains and the materials carried by the recent flooding phenomena that prevented the normal germination, increasing the costs for the already affected producers.

Regarding exports, Mr. Avgenakis noted that in oranges, tangerines and apples, a decrease of 13.5%, 11% and 45% was recorded, respectively with a parallel increase in imports, with all that this entails for the economy. At the same time, he mentioned the problems of small fruit but also the devaluation of the Egyptian pound, which makes its oranges even more competitive.

In conclusion, he said that the problems he described “demonstrate the need to strengthen the protection and support tools for European producers, in order to shield the vulnerable agricultural sector and prevent phenomena of abandonment of important crops for the Union with the aim of its food security and autonomy”.

Measures to deal with disasters

With the aim of immediately dealing with the effects of the climate crisis and natural disasters, the Greek Ministry of AAT proposed to have:

  • Possibility of allocating 2% of the CAP Strategic Plan budget. We have expressed our support many times for this proposal of Croatia, Slovenia, and it is considered appropriate that it be considered immediately by the Commission for the current period, as it is optional for the Member States and has no budgetary cost.
  • Establishment of a Special Fund for the effects of the climate crisis.
  • Increase in the Agricultural Reserve. An appropriate solution, and I would agree with the Portuguese colleague, is to transfer to the agricultural reserve funds that are released, when the reason for the initial commitment no longer exists, in the context of the Multiannual Financial Framework appropriations allocated primarily for agriculture.

It is noted that the above proposals have also been discussed in the context of EU MED 9 and all countries have unanimously agreed.