Difficulties remain in the collection of dead animals, especially in the Regional Units of Trikala and Larissa, according to what was said by the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, Dionysis Stamenitis from the Coordination Office in Larissa.

As regards the dead animals that have been reported to ELGA to date, they are as follows:

Sheep and goats 71,212

Pigs 20,326

Cattle 6,136

According to the competent deputy minister, the competent services have managed 38,609 dead goats and sheep, 16,465 pigs and 237 cattle.

“This is a difficult undertaking. There are still areas where there is no access to collect the dead animals, either because the waters have not receded or because there are roads that are inaccessible,” he said.

The Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food stated, among other things, that the field of action of the HYPAAT in Thessaly is being developed in three areas:

1) Collection/cremation or burial of the dead animals, in cooperation with the Region of Thessaly and the Municipalities that have the first say.

2) In recording the damage to the animal and plant capital, a process that has already started and is the work of ELGA.

3) In the sampling and assessment of the conditions that have developed in the soils and in the irrigation water after the floods, which is a process of ELGO-DIMITRA’s responsibility.

With regard to the applications that have been declared to date for damage to plant and animal capital to ELGA, according to Mr. Stamenitis, these amount to 5,162 declarations for plant production and 1,597 declarations of damage for animal production.

Finally, following an order from the Minister of Rural Development and Food, EFET is taking extraordinary measures to carry out official controls which focus on food distribution points for flood victims, reception and accommodation areas for flood victims, but also on operating food businesses that are still in special conditions due to lack of basic infrastructure