Newsroom
In a dramatic turn of events today, potato and wheat farmers engaged in clashes with the police during their protest outside the Presidential Palace. The farmers, rallying against what they perceive as inadequate government subsidies, sought entry to the palace for a direct dialogue with officials.
The protest, which commenced at 11 am, followed a march from GSP to the Presidential Palace that began at 10 am. The farmers, expressing concerns over rising production costs pushing them out of the industry, are at odds with the proposed government subsidy of €4.2 million. They contend that €7 million is essential for their viability.
President of the Panagrotikos Association, Kyriakos Kailas, revealed that negotiations late last night resulted in an offer of €4.2 million, equating to €6 per unit for cereals and €45 for potatoes. However, this proposal was rejected by both sectors.
Kailas outlined the losses incurred by wheat and potato producers, setting red lines at €10 and €100 per quintal, respectively. Allegedly, Minister of Agriculture Petros Xenophontos contacted protest organizers, urging them to refrain from rallying at the Presidential Palace, with a threat to withdraw the government's proposal if they persisted.
Addressing the rejection of the offer, Kailas emphasized that the farmers sought fair compensation and not punitive action. He stated that their demand for €7 million aimed to cater to all sectors and underscored the injustice of targeting farmers.
Despite the leaderships of PEK and Panagrotiki deeming the offered amounts satisfactory, individual farmers from these organizations rejected the proposals and joined the ongoing protest. Kailas urged reflection from these leaderships.
With a firm stance, Kailas declared that farmers would remain outside the Presidential Palace until their demands were met: an increased state support of €7 million covering all farmers, and crucially, disbursed before Christmas. The situation remains tense as farmers stand united in their pursuit of fair subsidies and support.
