“The threats, problems and challenges faced by farmers are not only addressed by subsidies and financial aid from any government or by reactions that harm the whole of society, but a new way of thinking and acting aiming not only to alleviate a undoubtedly difficult or unfair today, but also securing tomorrow”, stressed Lefteris Avgenakis during the discussion of the HYPAAT bill in the Parliament.

The minister considers dialogue as the most important tool in the formulation of a policy that ensures the future of the primary sector, because only through dialogue and the consistency of words and projects, the synthesis and resolution of problems is achieved.

In this context, the government and the FSA the minister pointed out, pointing out that boldness and consistency are the element that characterizes them.

The Ministry of Agriculture noted that the primary sector “is not simply a historically fundamental part of the national economy, regional development and social progress of our country, but a crossroads where production meets the science of cultivation, exports meet processing, the new digital world with new tools and high-precision methods, the energy transition with the sustainable management of water resources, the daily toil with academic research and education. An ecosystem that we have never dealt with comprehensively and comprehensively, through a strategic development perspective, while unfortunately many times we were trapped in the management of community checks, financial programs and compensations”.

THE Minister of Rural Development and Food he pointed out that the government is moving forward with boldness and consistency, through a network of policies, actions and partnerships “with the aim of capitalizing on the important prospects that are created for our country, but also dealing with threats and crises”. At the same time, the SS CAP and modern practices are used “we are creating a new, smart, sustainable, competitive, resistant and strongly developing agricultural sector”.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications clarified that what some are asking for, its non-implementation CAP, “will deprive more than 19.3 billion from the primary sector until 2027. And I’m not only talking about direct aid, but also about money that will be channeled into rural development actions. As you understand, such a thing cannot be done.” What can be done, as he said, is the improvement of the CAP, through proposals submitted by our country but also in collaboration with EUMED-9.

Measures for farmers

Referring to the meeting the Prime Minister had with the farmers, he said:

We listened attentively to the demands and just problems of the farmers. Then, the Prime Minister announced the additional measures to support farmers:

– cheaper electricity for all farmers for the next 2+8 years. The initiative of substance and responsibility that ensures very low prices in rural electricity is estimated to shape the kilowatt in the first 2 years below 10 minutes for farmers who participate in cooperative schemes or are consistent and below 11 minutes for those in arrears , settling their debts at the same time. For the next 8 years for ⅓ of consumption the estimated price will be uniform at 9 cents, thus allowing all farmers to do the planning.

– At the same time, the Prime Minister announced the advance payment of the refund of the Special Consumption Tax on agricultural oil (amounting to 82 million euros), amounting to 40 million euros at the end of March. The relevant provision is submitted to the Parliament immediately. Our Government is willing to open a dialogue for a fairer way of returning the EFFK from 2025 onwards, with elements of permanent treatment, regarding how the refund amount is distributed, who and when they will receive it.

Measures in progress

He also reminded that we have in progress:

1. Measure 5.2 which provides a 100% grant for the reconstruction of lost livestock and the repair of damaged stables and supporting infrastructure.

2. Denitrification Measure: 100 million for a new Call for the Measure and 50 million for an extension to the beneficiaries of the existing call

3. Measure for Parakarlia: For the lands that are under water and for 2 years, a Measure is planned that is part of the Rural Development Program to cover the lost income.

4. Just yesterday, the request of the farmers of the area of ​​Northern Fthiotida, which has been affected, was accepted, that all the runners-up be included in the Improvement Plans, as was done in Thessaly, since the specific farmers were also affected by Daniel.

5. The regulation of the Ministry of Environment and Energy regarding electricity debts to DEDDIE will also apply in the affected area of ​​Domokos.

6. The beekeepers of the region will also receive the corresponding support received by the beekeepers of Thessaly, in the context of the Agricultural Reserve.

7. Grape, peach and kiwi crops and those who have not yet received advance payments – this covers 3% of the affected areas – will be paid within the next week.

All this, as Lefteris Avgenakis said, is only part of what we plan and implement, always with the sole aim of the essential strengthening of each farmer in a world that does not change, but has already changed.

Arrangements to reduce production costs

The minister also recalled the measures announced 10 days ago by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis:

– Return of the Excise Tax on oil

for the 3rd year in a row, at a cost to the state budget

82 million euros for each year.

– Settlement of the debts to the PPC of the Local and General Organizations of Vascular Improvements (TOEB, GOEB), which currently reach 87 million euros.

At the same time, since 2019 the ND government has proceeded to:

· Reduction of taxation for farmers, with the possibility of exemption from paying income tax by 50% Establishment of a new tax scale for natural persons and professional farmers, with rates starting from 9%, instead of 22%.

· Grant of one-time aid with 2% of the turnover for livestock holdings.

– Reduction of VAT on fertilizers and animal feed from 13% to 6% and VAT for the purchase of agricultural machinery from 24% to 13%.

The origins of ELGA

EL.GA.A. from 2019 until February 2024, it has paid the following compensations:

1. Compensations for losses of plant production and loss of livestock €1,142,025,489.44 in compensations were paid. This is a huge amount of compensation payment.

2. State Financial Support Programs (SSP) – State Aid Programs.

It is worth noting that the damages caused by the Fires of the year 2017 in olive crops were paid on December 31, 2021, with a total price per tree of €61, including the cost of loss of income.

The payments for KOE Programs in the period 2020 – 2023 amount to €100,352,156.93.

3. Advance payments for damages by “Daniel” and “Elias”

Advance payments amounting to €150 million have been paid, of which €132,988,584 for around 30,000 plant production loss claims and €16,528,449 for around 2,500 livestock loss claims.

The ad hoc Program, for the payment of compensations in Thessaly and the other Regional Units, whose crops were affected by “Daniel”, has initially been estimated as compensation costs at €260 million. The Ministry of Finance immediately made available the €150 million, which had already been allocated to the producers, and on February 8, 2024, through the Bank of Greece, it sent an additional €110 million to ELGA.

Tomorrow, February 14, 2024, he announced that an additional €5.5 million is being paid to producers whose crops did not receive an advance and cover 30,000 hectares against 1,133,000 hectares, which already received an advance.

As the government and the HYPAAT said, we listen and discuss with the farmers every day, said the HYPAAT, recalling the constant presence of the leadership of the ministry in Thessaly and Evros but also the daily presence next to the farmers in the fields and in the blocks. “Let us inform them with indisputable facts about everything we are doing and everything we have set in motion and find meaningful and sustainable solutions to their just anguish. Without theatrics and communication crowns, with respect for the agony and pain of those affected but also with confidence in documented scientific knowledge, so as to shield the next day of the primary sector, processing and local industry”.

And he concluded: “So we deal with the needs of today in the most direct way within the framework of all available possibilities, with consistency, transparency and fiscal control, boldly looking to tomorrow with the aim of releasing the potential and prospects hidden in every farmer of the country us and the primary sector as a whole”.