The Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, sent a message of support to the farmers and their problems from the Vonitsa block where he was today in order to talk with them and listen to their requests.

“We are always open to see what we can do better,” said Mr. Mitsotakis.

In fact, the prime minister left an “open” window for new intervention on agricultural oilstating that despite the fact that the fiscal possibilities are not unlimited, the support of the primary sector is for him personally the first political priority.

“In particular, the prime minister in the dialogue he had with the farmers attending the Vonica block said: “You will neither become waiters, nor will you leave for Germany. For me, supporting the primary sector is a first political priority. I know the problems firsthand. During these difficult 4 years, the government stood as much as possible close to the farmers with the support of ELGA with compensations of 1 billion euros, with a reduction of VAT on fertilizers and animal feed. We are open to discussion to see what we can do better. We know the pending issues, as far as possible we will do the best we can because the financial possibilities are not unlimited”.

Referring to his government’s agricultural policy, Mr. Mitsotakis emphasized that “We gave more than 1 billion euros in compensation in the last four years, only 500 million of which came from farmers’ contributions, and with a reduction in VAT on animal feed and fertilizers where we could intervene” and added that “we are always open to see what we can do better, both nationally and at European level, to reduce the cost of production, to reduce the cost of electricity. We have already succeeded and secured relatively reasonable prices on the crisis but we want to reduce it more. We know the backlog and the issues related to the cost of traffic and diesel.”

“And the better the economy does overall, as we did last year with the return of the Excise Duty (on agricultural oil), the more resources we will have to be able to support the primary sector,” the prime minister added.

In the field of mobilizations, at the same time and despite the statements of the prime minister, the farmers are peaking their reactions and with a time horizon of the opening of Agrotica where they have warned that they will line up at least 300 tractors.

Today, they proceeded to a symbolic blockade of the roads in Thessaly, declaring at the same time that they would not budge, despite the new statements of the prime minister.

As the farmers of Karditsa had announced yesterday, symbolically occupied the national road for a while. Afterwards, the farmers with their tractors marched in the center of Karditsa

In Larissa, the farmers managed to pass the police cordon and symbolically block the national highway at the height of Platykambos.

On the Atalanti front, the Athens-Lamia National Road in Atalanti was closed for a few minutes in both directions when 50 tractors and farmers took to the road.

In the Peloponnese, since the morning farmers from Aegialia, western Achaia and Erymanthos gathered with a convoy of tractors and agricultural machinery in the Region of Western Greece in Patras. In fact, there was tension between the farmers and the police.

Farmers say that the rallies and agitations will continue until problems are resolved.

Tomorrow, the blockades will continue in the places where roadblocks have been set up in the Thessalian plain, while at the opening of Agrotica in Thessaloniki, at least 300 tractors are expected to line up at the western gate of the exhibition.