Athens: Greek farmers have rejected a government invitation for talks, vowing to escalate protests that have disrupted traffic across the country for a third week.
The decision was made during a nationwide meeting of farmer representatives on Saturday (local time), who stated they would first submit a list of demands and only engage in dialogue after receiving concrete government responses.
The protests, involving blockades of highways, border crossings and ports, were triggered by delays in EU subsidy payments following a corruption investigation into Greece’s agricultural payments agency. Farmers are also demanding state support for rising production costs, livestock disease losses, weather damage, and long-standing structural problems, reports Xinhua news agency.
Experts note Greek farmers remain heavily dependent on subsidies, which constitute about 47 per cent of the average farmer’s income.
“Farmers are dependent on subsidies. Structural problems were never resolved, while costs continued to rise,” Efstathios Klonaris, professor of agricultural economics at the Agricultural University of Athens, was quoted as saying by the local daily To Vima.
The government has acknowledged payment delays and pledged substantial funds by the end of December, but stressed all payments must comply with EU regulations. It also warned that demands should consider the broader societal disruption.
While public surveys show most Greeks view the farmers’ demands as legitimate, many oppose the roadblocks. With protests continuing into the Christmas period, concerns are growing over the impacts on travel, tourism, and trade.
Earlier on Friday, farmers blocked several border crossings in northern and central parts of the country as nationwide protests continued over rising production costs and delays in subsidy payments.
The nationwide protests by Greek farmers began on November 30 after the payment of EU-funded agricultural subsidies was delayed in the wake of a corruption investigation, leaving many producers facing a funding shortfall amid rising production costs.
(IANS)
