The government gave all it could to the farmers, that’s it message they send from the morning the government officials after the yesterday’s meeting of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis with the representatives of the agricultural blocs.

The farmers who participated in yesterday’s meeting know how the prime minister did his bestthe member of parliament from Chania said on the “Mitmatched” show, Dora Bakoyannis.

Speaking to SKAI 100.3, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis he was categorical: “There is no trace of fiscal space from now on for the case of farmers. Open dialogue can always exist, but with open roads.”

Asked about the 7 cents per kilowatt hour that farmers are asking for the price of rural electricityMr. Skylakakis replied that it is not possible for a social group to get electricity below cost.

He also pointed out that farmers receive government subsidiesthe largest of any other sector of the economy, adding that these subsidies have very strict limits set by Europe.

For duty-free agricultural oil that the farmers are asking for, Mr. Skylakakis stated that it is an issue that the government will discuss exhaustively with them, as there must be a fairer system, to operate based on real agricultural consumption.

Keletsis: The margins of benefits have been exhausted

The Deputy Minister of Rural Development moved on the same wavelength Stavros Keletsis speaking in the First Program: “From the side of the government it has become clear that the margins of any benefits on the part of the farmers have been exhausted, in the sense that the fiscal framework and the finances of the country are specific, they are tight”, pointing out that always the doors of the ministry are open for dialogue.

More specifically, Mr. Keletsis noted that in the two major issues concerning farmers, i.e. energy and fuel, the government took two very important measuresas he characteristically said: “As far as fuel is concerned, for the third year the government is giving back the oil tax. This is the third year that this has been applied, because it was abolished in the past and for the 24 with 83 million this return will be made and in fact, as announced yesterday, 40 of the 83 will be given by the end of March. Energy which is another big part, the cost of energy for our farmers. I think the government has come too close to what the farmers are proposing, ie the farmers are proposing 7 cents per kilowatt hour. This in today’s conditions was not easy to secure this price. But the government put it down, measured it, divided it into categories and for two years, that’s the important thing, the price will be close to 9 cents, very close to what the farmers are proposing and with a stability, which means that a farmer will be able for the next two years at least to have an accurate picture of what will be the cost he will pay in energy, but plus 8 years. Because a perspective was given in the next 8 years of guaranteeing this price at 30% of the price of electricity” said the deputy minister.

“From now on farmers will have to consider the situation responsiblyto appreciate what the government gives and from there on to make their decisions” he added.

Regarding the intention expressed by the representatives of the farmers’ blocs, to escalate their mobilizationswith the closing of the customs and descent to Athens with the tractors, Mr. Keletsis, underlined that from the side of the government, the Ministry of Rural Development, but even at the level of the Prime Minister “we are always open to dialogue and I must say that from on the first day that the current political leadership of the Ministry took over, almost every day we see the institutional representatives of our farmers, as they are expressed through the institutions of the state and of the farmers themselves and are elected by the farmers”.

“The doors of the ministry are always open and we are open to dialogue. But the limits, the margins when it comes to subsidizing, the margins are narrow when it comes to the budget, because there are specific fiscal data in the country. The country comes from a period of great economic crisis. Now we have managed to stand on our feet. The economy is getting better and better. This it gives us the scope to do politics in favor of weak groups. Always in the economy, you have to make some choices. When you give somewhere, you must cut from somewhere else. Therefore, there must also be a point of balance. I believe that all this will be taken into account by our farmers, those who decide in the blocs and I think that they will make decisions that will not create problems in the orderly functioning of the economy and society” added the deputy minister.