Farmers from across Greece met in Larissa this week and agreed a programme of coordinated actions, including road and port blockades beginning on 30 November and expanding into the first days of December. The demonstrations respond to soaring production costs, delayed subsidy payments and the fallout from a major subsidy scandal that has left a large funding shortfall for the sector.

The agricultural crisis has been intensified by an ongoing probe into OPEKEPE, the state agency responsible for distributing EU farm aid, which has exposed large-scale irregularities and led to figures showing a substantial funding gap for producers. Farmers’ unions say the resulting delays in payments, combined with a damaging sheeppox outbreak that forced tens of thousands of culls, have left many producers facing ruin.

In its statement SYRIZA also blamed the government for what it called a culture of collusion and impunity around the handling of subsidies. The party pledged political support for the farmers’ demands and called on the government to halt what it described as the devaluation of the primary sector, provide immediate relief and implement transparent, long-term measures to secure farm incomes.

The farmers say partial subsidy payments have started to roll out but that the sums are insufficient and do not address structural problems. In recent weeks unions staged demonstrations in Athens and warned that, unless the government acts, blockades will aim to force rapid, concrete redress on payments and veterinary support for affected flocks.

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