Farmers in Greece escalate their protests (videos)

Farmers and breeders in Greece intensify their mobilization against the governmental policies, blocking roads with their tractors and throwing fresh milk away in protest. They demand the full of promised compensations after the September floods and they complain about the high cost of production.

They accuse the conservative New Democracy government of “mocking” them with announcements that in the end do not materialize.

The protests started in Central Greece, where the pillars of primary production are still waiting for the compensations for the destruction caused by storm Daniel and the floods in September 2023.

On Monday, farmers in central Macedonia joined the protests thus blocking a main road in Halkidiki.

Voices from northern Greece are getting louder as well, with  some 20,000 farmers planning to gather with 300 to 400 tractors and organize a protest rally the day the Agrotica 2024 fair opens in Thessaloniki on Thursday, February 1.

They plan to stay all four days that the exhibition lasts and claim their demands, thus sending a letter to Prime Minister’s office requesting an immediate meeting as well as an immediate solution to their problems.

They are not convinced by the “cheese” thrown by the government to the desperate producers of agricultural and livestock products.

The National Highway, on the direction to Thessaloniki, was closed late on Monday afternoon by farmers at Platykampos junction by Larissa after they managed to break the police blockade and get onto the National Highway.

According to state broadcaster ERT, protesters do not want to close the highway,  but to highlight the acute problems they are facing. They even refuse to to meet with ministers, claiming that they do not convey their requests to the the Premier properly.

The final decisions on the course of their protest actions will be taken tomorrow, Tuesday, January 30, in Palamas of Karditsa, one of the agricultural areas mostly hit and destroyed from the floods in September.

The Government

Trying to appease the justified anger of agricultural and livestock producers, the government is proceeding with half-measures that barely cover the central demands of the sector.

Earlier, the Minister of Energy announced an amendment to be tabled in Parliament within the day, which would provide for the complete suspension for two years of electricity payments for those farmers affected by the storm Daniel as well as a five-year settlement of their obligations , new and old, with zero interest.

It is noted, however, that the regulation in question was announced in November by the Ministries of Environment and Energy, Rural Development and Food, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, daily efsyn.gr reported.

At the same time, there is no positive development in the demand for agricultural fuel, even though the Prime Minister himself, just today (Monday, Jan 29), acknowledged to the President of the Republic that the farmers “are protesting to a large extent justifiably about the increase in production costs.”

Compensations coming or rather not!

A report by Open TV late on Saturday that the promised compensations for flooded and destroyed areas would be reduced put more oil into the fire of frustrated farmers and breeders.

It should be recalled that around 100,000 animals were drowned in the plain of Thessaly in September, locals received a small compensation and much below the average price of livestock.

A local man told me that all 200 sheep the family had were drowned and the compensation they received was 85 euros per sheep, while its sale price was at least 150. they have received only crumbs of the full compensation so that they managed to buy 50 sheep, a cow and some chicken so that they will have their own milk, yogurt, cheese, meat and eggs.

Agricultural Minister Lefteris Avgenakis keeps attributing the problems and insecurity of the sector to the climate crisis and insists that reports about ” reduced compensations are inaccurate.”

Deputy Minister Stavros Keletsis, speaking on the OPEN television station, exposed himself very badly, when in live dialogue with protesting farmers he showed that he did not know how the compensations of the farmers for cotton are being calculated.

What is highly interesting is that while the majority of central Greece farmers and breeders are New Democracy voters, some farmer warned the government on live TV that they won’t vote for the ruling party in the upcoming European elections.

ΞΕΣΗΚΩΘΗΚΑΝ ΟΙ ΑΓΡΟΤΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΕΔΩΣΑΝ 48% ΣΤΟΝ ΜΗΤΣΟΤΑΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΝ ΕΚΑΝΑΝ ΠΘ ΓΙΑ 2η ΤΕΤΡΑΕΤΙΑ❗️
«Aυτή τη στιγμή τι πιστεύετε θα γίνει στις Ευρωεκλογές;
Ξέρετε τι μήνυμα θα στείλουμε;
Θα δούνε κάτι δεκάρια που θα είναι τρανταχτά.
Ο κόσμος δεν είναι βλάκας, δεν είναι πρόβατο, τα πρόβατα… pic.twitter.com/FXq4mLedOs

— Areti Athanasiou (@AretiAthanasiu) January 29, 2024

“What if I’m with the 41% [ND elections percentage in July 2023]? Don’t I have the right to complain?” one farmer told the minister who claimed the protests are being influence by the Left.

“You will see 10-percentages that will be deafening,” τhe chairman of the Agricultural Collaboration of Larissa added.