After meetings upon meetings in the government they have come to an end in what they will propose on Tuesday to the farmers. It is a meeting that, from what it seems, will evolve into two parts. Initially at 12:00 PM at Megaro Maximos, the Prime Minister will meet with the 15-member committee of the farmers’ blocs, while at 1:00 PM a second meeting will follow with the institutional body that represents cooperatives throughout Greece, the presidency of the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives.

The main counterweight of the government against the demands of the farmers are the return of the Excise Tax for which a part of it is examined, probably 30%, to be given in advance to the farmers, the next period, soon, and the rest to be given in installments.

It also gives great importance government staff and energy costs, for which a 10% discount has already been given to rural electricity. Some additional energy relief appears to be under consideration as well without burdening the state budgetand it is not excluded, according to information, this charge should concern the energy providers.

Particularly:

  • 30% of the Excise Tax refund in advance
  • Horizontally for all farmers the electricity meters
  • Measures for the next few years for farmers

The demands of the farmers in detail as decided at last Tuesday’s Panhellenic meeting in Nice:

Reduction of production costs with measures such as:

  • Establishment of rural tax-free oil
  • Ceiling of 7 cents/Kwh in the agricultural stream
  • Subsidy of means, supplies and animal feed and abolition of VAT.
  • The New CAP should not be implemented and renegotiated.
  • Replenishment of lost income in crops that have a production loss that is not covered by ELGA as well as plant and animal products that were sold below production costs. Compensation from ELGA for all damages and diseases at 100% of the actual damage and not the insured value.
  • Measures should be taken and controls should be carried out by the Government to stop the “Hellenization” of plant, animal & beekeeping products.
  • Prices that cover production costs so that we have income for our livelihood and cultivation needs.
  • Infrastructure projects for the anti-flood protection of the country.

Annex on the disasters in Thessaly:

  • We consider it a separate and imperative issue that we be notified of a schedule for the drainage of the nearby flooded villages and fields. Timeline of the construction of the tunnel, necessary for the anti-flood shielding of the wider area, firstly for possible Daniel-type disasters and secondly for health reasons.
  • We ask that the flooded lands as well as the estates that will not be cultivated until they become productive be compensated with amounts that will cover the basic living needs of the producers. Specifically for Thessaly and B. Fthiotida.
  • An advance of 50% of the fixed equipment must be paid by the state aid immediately and paid off immediately after the inspection. Final compensations must be made at 100% of the value of the fixed capital destroyed. In addition, the emergency aid of €6,600 should be immediately granted to the beneficiaries who were not given a rent allowance to those who were forced to leave their homes and rent another residence. At the same time, first aid should be given to those who did not receive it. The farmer needs a liquidity boost to meet basic living needs.
  • Final compensation prices for all crops affected by the disaster that will cover at least the actual cost of cultivation (ELGA).
  • Suspension of the application of the CAP by way of derogation from the rules of irrigation for the years in which the flooded estates are not cultivated, as well as for those that are impossible to cultivate or irrigate.
  • Immediate payment of tied aid for liquidity reasons
  • We demand immediate restoration by the GOEB, Municipalities, Region of the road network, irrigation network (TOEB), electric network (DEDDIE) and with state responsibility to carry out a study and implementation of flood protection and shielding projects.
  • We require the income of farmers to be replenished until their animals, their stables are rehabilitated and they have a subsistence income.