The government is engaging in a “friendly attack” on farmers, with a barrage of statements by government officials about a network of auxiliary measures, such as microloans of up to 25,000 euros, with the aim of de-escalating the mobilizations. Next Tuesday, a pan-Hellenic meeting will be held in Nikaia, Larissa, in order for the producers to determine their next moves, with some seeking descent to Athens, raising the issue of survival. The Agrotica exhibition closes on Sunday.

The day after the Prime Minister’s announcements Kyriakou Mitsotakis, but also the clarifications of the government representative Pavlou Marinakis, that there is no scope for new government interventions for the demands of the farmers, the Minister of State, Makis Voridis, positioned himself for the agricultural mobilizations, opening a window for new support measures, but from September.

Voridis: We are looking for additional measures from September

“We will see what is still that can be done,” he emphasized, “we will see when that time comes, in September, that is, what is the addition, which is needed and can be done. We also have our eye on the budget, now it has started to be executed. We will see its execution and the possibilities we have. At the moment we cannot announce” the Minister of State told Mega.

Avgenakis: The EU approves the amendments to the CAP that we requested

They are approved by the EU the amendments to the Common Agricultural Policy requested by Greece, pointed out the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, in his intervention at the ministry’s conference, on the theme “Cultivating tomorrow – Policies for agricultural education and training”, held in Thessaloniki in the context of this year’s 30th anniversary Agrotica.

“Most of the agricultural problems are solved at the European level, and that’s why we create alliances with the aim of solving the problems of the primary sector”, he pointed out.

Mr. Avgenakis again invited the people of the primary sector at the discussion table, characteristically saying “together and with dialogue more will be gained” and announced that the EU will accept the changes to the CAP requested by our country. “The unofficial information from the European Commission is that the changes to the CAP requested by Greece from December 28 are accepted,” he stressed.

The changes and interventions in the CAP requested by Greece concern the following:

  • Changes related to eligibility and concerning amendments to the codes of agricultural practice, which are the mandatory commitments for the granting of aid to farmers/breeders.
  • Changes concerning elements of direct aid. Among other things, proposals for the ecological programs (environment, climate and animal welfare), the linked aid of Article 32 and the special aid for cotton.
  • Interventions such as advance payment proposals in the wine, fruit and vegetable, olive oil and beekeeping sectors.
  • Interventions for rural development, including the introduction of a new insurance premium subsidy intervention with an EU contribution of €200 million.
  • Rural development interventions, including those that bring about changes in the numerical targets and associated milestones for the relevant outcome indicators.
  • Changes for more effective implementation of the AKIS system and the National CAP Network.

At the same time, he recalled the decision of the Commission, based on which cultivation is allowed on lands that had entered the fallow program and concerns our country 1.5 million acres and about 130,000 farmers.

Papathanasis: Within the month announcements for microloans up to 25,000 euros

The agricultural issue is a key priority of the government, which is why the Prime Minister proceeded with a series of measures in order to relieve the farmers, Deputy Minister of Finance Nikos Papathanasis emphasized, among other things.

Speaking to ERT, Mr. Papathanasis said that within the month a program for lending to farmers will be announced, as part of their support measures.

As the minister said, these are microloans up to 25,000 euros and 50% of the loan will be interest-free, so that farmers can “address some issues and make some small – if you like – investments in agricultural entrepreneurship.” He pointed out that “this has happened before, we’re just bringing it much stronger, further forward and further forward”.

Mr. Papathanasis said that the relevant announcements will be made within the month and that this program will start “running” from March.

In his presentation at the conference, he referred to the initiatives taken by the government to make the problem of Thessaly European – in addition to national – as well as the joint actions of EUMED-9 to create a permanent crisis response mechanism within the EU, but also to increase the agricultural reserve.

Triandopoulos: State aid reaches up to 500,000 per farmer

Within the next week, the second round of the first state aid for those affected opens from natural disasters, he announced the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Triandopoulosrecalling that the one who “ran” in Thessaly has so far granted 148 million euros to 43,500 households, farmers and businesses.

“As far as the primary sector is concerned, approximately 19,400 farmers and breeders have received 40 million euros through the first round of first aid, and from next week the second round of first aid for 5,000 to 10,000 euros opens,” he pointed out. in his presentation at the YPAAT day, on the topic “Cultivating tomorrow – Policies for agricultural education and training”, which took place in Thessaloniki in the context of this year’s 30th anniversary Agrotica.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection emphasized that the final amount that an affected farmer can receive from the State Aid amounts to 500,000 euros, in contrast to the old state financial aids which reached a maximum of 72,000 euros, as he characteristically said.

In his presentation, Mr. Triandopoulos referred to the operation of the State Aid, which is a major reform, which came to replace the old PSEA and KOE that paid compensations on a more limited scale, in a much longer time, at lower tariffs, reaching the four to five years after the damages.

“With the State Aid, the institutional framework was created by which agricultural holdings are treated as businesses and the equipment, fixed assets and land capital are compensated”, he pointed out and added that at the same time, the institutional framework was expanded and now directly covers all those damages that were either not covered or covered poorly and for a long time. In addition, losses in plant capital have also been included in the context of State Aid.

Of course, he noted that the involvement of the State Aid in the primary sector is gradually being completed and in the next period it will give way to a new holistic support framework formed by the HYPAAT, as “reforms continue”, he pointed out characteristically.