Strategic release of 7,000 tons of barley

The release of up to 7,000 tons of barley, an amount equivalent to 30% of the strategic reserves, was decided by the Grain Advisory Committee, which convened at the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday. This was announced by the Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Andreas Gregory, after the conclusion of the meeting. He added that this quantity will be distributed by August 31, 2023.

"The Advisory Committee has informed the Minister of Agriculture and will proceed with issuing a decree which will be published today," emphasized Mr. Gregory, noting that importers are obligated to replace these reserves by the end of September, and they will be inspected. Furthermore, he clarified that the distribution of reserves will be at the replacement cost, meaning the current market price.

The Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture expressed gratitude to the members of the Advisory Committee, agricultural organizations, the Department of Agriculture staff, and the Ministry's administration for their efforts in achieving this outcome over the past few days. He mentioned that all stakeholders were invited to the meeting "to discuss the extent of the issue," and based on the discussions, the unanimous decision was reached.

"With the new legislation, the state and the government managed to ensure an adequate supply of grains for human consumption and as raw material for animal feed, especially during challenging times such as the aftermath of the war in Ukraine," concluded Mr. Gregory.

Agricultural organizations welcomed the unanimously made decision and raised the issue of establishing an Authority to manage strategic grain reserves. The President of the Panagrotikos organization mentioned that this matter "is not the right time."

In his statements, Michalis Lyras, the General Secretary of PEK, referred to a "substantive and productive" session, stating that they reached a unanimous decision that was necessary, which is the release of strategic reserves, especially barley, crucial for the feed of milk-producing animals. He emphasized that the participation of barley in animal feed is important for milk productivity.

Mr. Lyras also suggested the creation of an Authority to manage strategic reserves, which, as he indicated, are particularly significant during times of crisis when grain sufficiency becomes an issue.

On the other hand, Panikos Hambas, the General Secretary of EKA, noted that this is the first time grain is being released. He highlighted the importance of having an organization directly related to the state or the Cooperative to efficiently control the strategic reserves, as they have witnessed some issues with certain traders.

Kyriakos Kailas, President of Panagrotikos, thanked the Committee's President and the Government "for this substantial decision," mentioning that no farmer should worry about this decision. He also remarked that due to the war-related closure of Ukraine, traders have turned to other directions such as Bulgaria and Romania. He further stated that this decision will cover the needs for the upcoming ten days.

He suggested that discussions on changing the strategy for maintaining reserves might not be timely, and it is good to address and solve problems where they exist. In conclusion, he expressed the belief that collectively, everyone can do the best job for the primary sector, which is essential for our region.

[This article was translated from its Greek original]