Mr. Economou noted that the government understands the farmers’ requests which are in the right direction, but as he said “the problem is not only Greek, it is pan-European”
The necessity of the primary sector for EU food security emphasized Fthiotidas MP Yiannis Oikonomou speaking to SKAI while maintaining that the government did everything possible within its fiscal margins.
Mr. Economou noted that the government understands the farmers’ requests which are in the right direction, but as he said “tthe problem is not only Greek. It is pan-European, after the farmers demonstrated in Brussels, Munich, Berlin, Paris. They are dealing with very real, chronic problems, which have recently gotten worse due to a number of factors.”
“The cocktail of crises that producers are facing in recent years is unprecedented in the history of the last 50-60 years. Wrong policies and asymmetric influence on the green transition effort, climate collapse, energy crisis, low trade prices. All these together have not been faced by producers again in the last 50-60 years.
In the past, science came, industrialization, it gave solutions because production and income increased. Today, a parameter that you have to solve the issues comes and opposes other kinds of issues”, stressed Mr. Economou and added:
“The government, not only now but also in the past with a series of measures, has proven that it understands what is being done and in the context of the economy’s capabilities and fiscal strength it is doing what it can and many times more than that. This does not mean that all problems are solved. The government made very substantial interventions in terms of the cost of energy, the return of the social security tax and even earlier. Obviously the demands of the farmers are for something more, but there one weighs the margins.
The solutions to the problems of the primary sector have to do with a long-term strategy that will relieve the sector in the long run. The issue is not solved by support or subsidy measures alone. We have structural problems. More than 75% of the people involved have less than 50 acres. Today, those who have less than 50 acres, just give them electricity, do nothing.
Second, it is the direction of the products that can give them higher prices. Better control of what goes in and how it’s sold. It’s all about a long-term strategy.”
Source: Skai
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