The Ministry had announced that nearly 488 million euros in basic and redistributive aid would be paid to more than 480,000 beneficiaries. Instead, no aid was deposited, while ELGA executed early withholdings that wiped out account balances. According to competent sources, ELGA lacked sufficient liquidity to cover around 120 million euros in obligations and therefore withdrew directly from farmers’ balances, prompting widespread anger among producers who discovered empty accounts while attempting to meet routine expenses.

Deputy Minister Christos Kellas acknowledged the seriousness of the error, stating that “the farmers are right” and apologising “on behalf of the Ministry”, while insisting the Ministry was not responsible for the mistake. He said the fault lay with the technical consultant, OPEKEPE and Piraeus Bank, which jointly manage the payment system. Kellas added that responsibility would be sought, although “the damage has already been done”.

Farmers remain sceptical, noting that repeated administrative failures have left them without support at a time of acute pressure on the primary sector.

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