A call to the people of the primary sector who are in mobilizations, to sit at the dialogue table with the leadership of the HYPAAT and find together the best solutions to their problems, addressed the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, inaugurating the 30th anniversary Agrotica (1-4/2) organized by TIF-Helexpo at the International Exhibition Center of Thessaloniki.

“We are available for cooperation and joint effort, at national and European level. You are not alone, we are together, with common anxieties and the will to find solutions and provide answers to the problems”, he pointed out.

Both the YPAAT staff and the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis “stand bravely and timelessly on the side of the farmers of our country. We do the same now. Together, united and with complete understanding of the difficulties and motivations that led you to the streets, we declare ourselves available for cooperation and joint effort, at the national and European level”, underlined the HYPAAT, characterizing the efforts of the agricultural world as “fair”, both in the country us as well as throughout Europe.

After all, as he pointed out, “through the mobilizations of people in the primary sector, it is possible to highlight important problems, which crush their efforts. Problems we know about and work on collectively in order to provide meaningful solutions and to alleviate stress, anxieties and uncertainty about their future”, he pointed out.

Referring to this year’s 30th anniversary Agrotica, he said it was attended by around 2,000 exhibitors, which “highlights the importance of the agri-food sector in the business world, economic development and social cohesion”, he said.

During his deposition, Mr. Avgenakis was mentioned to the effects of the climate crisis, such as “soil health” and characterized it as “an explosive international threat with incredible consequences for the global economy and above all, social cohesion, due to the ever-increasing needs for food production”.

Referring to the general measures to strengthen agricultural production, the Ministry of AAT pointed out that the following are being used:

  • The interconnection of agricultural production with tourism and culture through Leaders, amounting to 600 million euros.
  • The new call for Improvement Plans with a budget of 230 million euros
  • The compensatory compensation, paid in December, amounting to €235 million in vulnerable and disadvantaged areas.
  • The resources of the Recovery Fund, of which 420 million are directed to the Economic Transformation of the Agricultural Sector and 18 million euros to investments in Aquaculture.
  • The resources of the “YDOR 2.0” program, for the modernization of land improvement projects, through which 4 billion euros are leveraged.

Among other things, he spoke about the consolidation of OPEKEPE, about the continuation of controls both in the market and at the entrance gates of the country with the aim of protecting consumers, dairy producers, and our Greek livestock farmers. The price of milk must be protected. In this we will be relentless” and made special reference to the international initiatives undertaken to support the primary sector.

Referring to Thessaly, he emphasized that “the real challenge is how we will ensure the future of the regionhow will we once again give life to the orchard of our country, the Thessalian plain, but also how will we protect every corner of our country against future impacts of the climate crisis, which are extremely possible”, he emphasized and referred to the measures taken .

Special mention was made by the HYPAAT for the efforts made to strengthen rural education. “We are making leaps of knowledge”, he said characteristically, pointing out the upgrade of the Agricultural School of Messara.

He also referred to the establishment of the agricultural departments in the chambers, noting that “we are opening the doors to business in the primary sector in an organized manner, while at the same time we are building a modern, information-rich Register of Professional Farmers, Livestock Breeders, Beekeepers and Fishermen”.

The opening was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment of Cyprus, Maria Panagiotou, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights of Malta, Anton Refalo, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria, Deyan Stratev, and the Deputy Director General of the International Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, of the United Nations, Maurizio Martina.

The Deputy Minister of the Interior responsible for Macedonia and Thrace, Stathis Konstantinidis, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, the Deputy Regional Governor for Agricultural Economy of the PKK, Georgios Kefalas and the president of TIF-Helexpo, Anastasios Tzikas, were also “present”.