The gathering, held at the Nikaia cultural centre of the Kileler municipality, will finalise the dates for tractors and delegations to take to the streets. Organisers say the action will most likely take place during the first three days of December, although some groups are also preparing to mobilise as early as Sunday 30 November.
Thessalian producers want a single, large-scale blockade on the Athens–Thessaloniki highway. Delegations from other regions are due to present alternative pressure tactics, which may include demonstrations on national roads, actions at ports and other forms of disruption.
Livestock breeders are participating in the meeting and demanding immediate state support over the recent sheep pox outbreak. Producers say the disease has devastated flocks, with authorities reporting some 417,000 sheep and goats culled; Thessaly has borne the heaviest losses, they add.
Payments of outstanding subsidies began recently, with roughly 82,000 farmers reportedly receiving about €42 million in the first tranche. Farmers welcomed the disbursements but said they do not address the structural problems that drive protests: rising production costs, collapsing farm incomes and the growing gap between low farmgate prices and higher retail prices.
The meeting is expected to conclude with a clear calendar of actions and a national plan for co-ordinated blockades and demonstrations, as producers seek to press the government for immediate relief and longer-term policy measures to stabilise agriculture.
______________________________________________
Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.
Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.