Angry Greek farmers gathered with their tractors in the center of Thessaloniki on Thursday, following their European colleagues to demand new provisions for their sector.
Greek farmers and breeders have started mobilizations across the country like their European colleagues. In the city of Thessaloniki, the country’s second largest city, a sweep of tractors crossed the streets of the city center, honking their horns to demand “food justice”.
This Thursday, 300 tractors showed up at the Thessaloniki agricultural fair.
The demands of Greek farmers are close to those of their European colleagues. They denounce the new agricultural policy, which according to them has led to a reduction in subsidies, an increase in reproduction costs but also an unfair occurrence, as underlined by Diamantis Diamantopoulos, president of the Serres farmers’ association:
“We hear the EU talking about its green agenda. But at the same time we see that imports from third countries are practically unlimited and not subject to any controls. We see, for example, potatoes from Egypt, without knowing how and with what means they are produced, tomatoes from Tunisia, garlic and lemons from Turkey, etc. When it comes to trade in our country, we play by twisted rules.”.
Greek farmers are determined to continue the mobilization in Thessaloniki until the end of the city’s agricultural fair, which ends this Sunday.