Production units and workshops linked to the primary sector and technology were visited by the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as part of his tour of the Ioannina region.

The Prime Minister attended the inauguration of the new modern plant for the production and packaging of vegetable products and hard cheeses of the company “Dodoni”.

“Development in the field means exactly what is happening here in “Dodoni”. A business that expands, a business that invests in new production capabilities, invests in its employees, invests in its suppliers. In this way, it grows by creating prosperity, collective prosperity which feeds the overall development dynamics of the Epirus Region and of course the entire country”, said the Prime Minister during the event.

“You know my personal interest not only in the primary sector but especially in animal husbandry. You remember that in this meeting we had then in Samarina with the representatives of mobile livestock farming, I pledged that we will fight to deal with the issue of illegal Greekization of milk, so that producers can get the prices that correspond to the quality of the product. And this, of course, does not only concern the producer, but also concerns the final product”, emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

“I won’t get tired of saying it: there is no successful business without smiling and satisfied employees. In this case, I will add to the workers the thousands of producers, who are largely dependent on the very success of the business”, pointed out the Prime Minister.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also emphasized the importance of the Greek brand in primary production. “A sectoral self-organization whose first purpose is to protect the product, to highlight its uniqueness and of course to be able to fight collectively, so that this product conquers more and more markets. I think we have taken some very important first steps in this direction. And we want the businesses of the sector to help in this effort and we want Justice.

And what does Justice mean? Justice means that the subsidies are collected by those who are really entitled to them. “Justice also means that the feta, which is sold as a real feta, does not find competition from other “slices” that are only slices in name, because the strict conditions defined by the protection of the designation of origin are not met,” he said.

The Prime Minister had the opportunity to be shown around by the President of the company, Yiannis Vitalis, and the Managing Director Michalis Panagiotakison the premises and chat with employees.

The event was attended by the Speaker of the Parliament and Member of Parliament of Ioannina of the New Democracy, Konstantinos Tasoulas, the Minister of Rural Development and Food Giorgos Georgantas, the Deputy Minister for Environmental Protection and Member of Parliament of Ioannina of the ND Giorgos Amyras, the MPs of Ioannina of the ND Stavros Kalogiannis and Alexandra Kefala. and the Regional Governor of Epirus, Alexandros Kahrimanis.

The Prime Minister visited the offices earlier of the Natech company, which specializes in the development of digital banking systems, having developed a wide clientele in more than 40 countries.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke with the President and CEO Thanasis Navrozoglou for working with University of Ioannina and the high-wage employment opportunities offered by attracting high-tech companies to the Ioannina region, while the possibility of broad support for the sector through Recovery Fund resources was highlighted.

“In the digital sector it is not easy to find funding especially in these times. The Recovery Fund has very good financing conditions. We succeeded and signed the contract, so this will help us grow in Europe much easier. And I think that such opportunities should be given to other companies as well”, noted Mr. Navrozoglou. “It is the best answer to those who claim that the RRF is about the few and the big. This concerns many more people after all”, answered the Prime Minister.

As for connecting to the University, Mr. Navrozoglou pointed out that 22% of the staff have come fromi. “This is the real osmosis of universities with the world of economics, the real economy. And of course the interesting thing is that they also come from abroad. You succeed and attract people, who come back to live in Ioannina. And not only Epirotes”, emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis, adding that there is now also the possibility for industrial doctorates, through cooperation between companies and academic institutions.

Earlier, the Prime Minister visited the laboratory of the newly established company in the agri-food sector Nomad Premium Greek Honey, in Katsikas of Ioannina, where the inauguration of the facilities took place today.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke with the owners of the business, Vassilis Rita and Eleni Plakouras, and was given a tour of the export and standardization areas, while he was informed about the development plans for new, innovative foods that will also be aimed at markets abroad.

After his visits to the production units, the Prime Minister walked through the main streets of the city of Ioannina, where he talked with shopkeepers and citizens.