Pavlos Satolias, president of the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (ETHEAS) and also President of the Kalavryta Agricultural Dairy Cooperative speaks to “where there is Greece” in SKAI about the problem with the slice of Kalavryta who becomes a victim of Trump’s duties.

According to the president of the Union of Kalavryta and the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, Pavlos Satolia, at the beginning of the year, the Cooperative had reached an agreement with an American importer.

The announcement of duties “frozen” the process, thereby highlighting the seriousness of the problem, not only for the export of feta but also other products in the area.

The Kalavryta Cooperative PDO slice is the first barrel slice of sales worldwide – the US is one of the key target markets for exporting agricultural products, such as olive oil, olives, compotes, wine, nuts, honey and slice.

The first consequences of duties announced by US President Donald Trump against countries exporting products to the US have begun to be recorded in international markets.

The world market is in great turmoil, however, the first consequences had begun to be recorded at the beginning of the year and locally.

According to the president of the Kalavryta Union and the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, Pavlos Satolia, since the beginning of the year, when the Cooperative had reached an agreement with an American importer, the announcement of the upcoming duties by the US president “frozen” the process.

Mr Satolias stressed that any efforts to protect a protectionism is expected to operate in suspense for the development of Greece’s agricultural products.

The US is one of the key target markets for the export of agricultural products, such as olive oil, olives, compotes, wine, nuts, honey and slice. In particular for the slice, it said that in the previous period there were 55 tonnes of Greek and more than 55m.

“The consequences of these announcements will also be found on the domestic market, and efforts are expected to be made to make part of the cost of duties absorbed, in order not to be burdened by the final consumer,” Mr Satolias said.

The president of the NTUA, referred to the issue of duties, to its General Assembly, which took place a few days earlier.

As he pointed out, though the export performance of agricultural products are moving at a surplus level (eg slice, fruits, vegetables, fishing), structural changes are needed, in order to maintain these rates, but to evolve into even better levels.

Specifically, he pointed out the need for substantial support from the State, the managing of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning and the acceleration of investment plans by the recovery fund.