The 300 tractors of farmers and breeders of Central Macedonia remain permanently lined up in the southern arc of the TIF.

They state that they are not going to move, at least not until tomorrow when they leave for their blocks at the end of the 30th anniversary Agrotica and note that their fight now begins.

Despite the agricultural rally organized by their Thessalian colleagues, farmers, breeders, fishermen and beekeepers in Central Macedonia categorically state that they do not wish to exacerbate the traffic problem in the city and all they demand and claim are substantial solutions to their problems.

“We will remain in our position here in front of Agrotica without disturbing anyone and we will leave in consultation with the Thessaloniki Traffic Directorate on Sunday 4/2, at a time when we will even cause the least possible inconvenience to the already burdened traffic in the city“, emphasizes the farmer from Lagadas, Kostas Paradeisis.

“We expect and want to hear documented solutions and not superficial announcements”, ethe farmer from Lagadas, Kostas Hatziparadeisis, points out to APE-MPE and adds: “We think they are fooling us, we want real and substantial solutions”. Among other things, he notes that they ask for agricultural oil at the pump and states that “the return of excise duty on oil does not satisfy anyone in the primary sector.” Indicatively, in fact, he states that for 1,800 acres of cultivation he pays an amount of at least 25,000 euros, since he supplies at least 25,000 liters annually. “I have all the invoices and proofs of what I say“, he emphasizes.

“We are not beggars, to be thrown a piece of dry cloth and run away from the blocks”, points out the farmer from Kilkis, Dimitris Vafiadis, addings “we are professional farmers and we want to stay, but with the costs we have incurred it is impossible”.

In this context, he talks about a national strategy for the development and promotion of the primary sector, adding that “we must finally settle down and get serious as a country if we want to have a primary sector”.

They symbolically close the Moudania junction in Halkidiki

The producers of Halkidiki, whose delegation had a meeting today with local rulers of the prefecture, expressed their dissatisfaction.

“‘But our delegation raised the issue, the elected MPs, mayors and local rulers were talking elsewhere.“, the president of the Agricultural Cooperative of Simantra, Filoklis Gotzias, emphasizes to APE-MPE.

“Tthe only thing we got from this meeting which lasted more than two hours, is the commitment that an attempt will be made to get us an appointment with the prime minister“, he said.

The demands of the farmers of Halkidiki are compensations for the failure of olive trees, agricultural electricity and oil, the return of 100% of the subsidies that were cut, the quick and fair distribution of ELGA compensations, forest maps and the restoration of equalization compensation in the prefecture.

In this context, they will proceed with a symbolic blockade of two hours, from 18.00 and both streams, at the Moudania junction on the road to Thessaloniki, while they will meet to redefine their next movement.

What they say about announcements and measures in Central Macedonia

The mobilisers of Central Macedonia emphasize to APE-MPE that the primary sector and its problems are not limited to Thessaly and underline that obviously and rightly the affected regions of our country are additionally strengthened by the severe weather phenomena, however they state that “the primary sector is all of Greece and all its sub-sectors».

After the announcements of the prime minister, as well as of the government officials, many of the mobilizers said that “now is where our real fight begins, we will not back down».

Commenting on yesterday’s announcements by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, the farmer from Lagadas, Kostas Hatziparadeisis, representing the mobilisers, notes:

“Everything he announced is a drop in the ocean. They don’t even touch on the real and existing problems of the primary sector and which if not addressed we will fade away and leave the Greek land, in debt and unemployed».

On standby, but on the boil, are the mobilizers of the primary sector throughout Central Macedonia, sticking to the blockades they have set up all the previous days and declaring that “there is no turning back if our just demands are not met”. They hold constant meetings, aiming to redefine their next move.