Sp. Libanos: We are looking for solutions to support the affected producers from the recent bad weather

The Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. Spilios, assured that the current government, as it has done in previous natural disasters, will do the same now and move quickly to provide fair support to the producers affected by the recent bad weather. Lebanese, to the farmers of Marathon, where he visited greenhouse crops, but also to a meeting held at the Museum of Marathon Road.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Interior Mr. Makis Voridis, the Deputy Minister of Interior Mr. Stelios Petsas, the deputies Mr. George Vlachos and Vassilis Oikonomou, the Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Thanassis Avgerinos and the Mayor Mr. Stergios Tsirkas and representatives of cooperatives and producers.

On behalf of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, the Secretary General Mrs. Christiana Kalogirou and the President of ELGA Mr. An. Lykourentzos also participated.

During his visit to greenhouses, which were damaged by the recent bad weather “Elpida”, the Minister of Rural Development and Food Mr. Spilios Libanos stressed:

“We are here, on the one hand, to see the disasters caused by the terrible snowfall and to support you, the producers, as we do after every natural disaster. Those of the producers who are insured with OGA, will be compensated normally and quickly. the rest, what we will try to do in cooperation with the relevant ministries and in a fair way to the insured – because you understand that there must be justice in the functioning of the state – is to look for other ways to support producers.

The services of ELGA will proceed with the assessment of the damages and then, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, with the local deputies and with the Mayor, we will look for solutions to support the greenhouse producers.

The climate crisis, unfortunately, shows its teeth hard and the first to be hit are the farmers. Today we are here while the day after tomorrow we will go to the Peloponnese for the problems caused by the frost on the tree crops.

The whole rural world, the cooperatives, the ministry, we need to restructure agricultural production, look at the issue of insurance at a very different level and make a medium-term plan, which we are already preparing in the ministry, so that, with new conditions, to continue to produce the excellent products that our country produces, whether it is flowers, or much more for food, that travel around the world and make us proud.

“As we did with the other disasters, in which the state moved with unprecedented speed, we will do now.”

The main problem that has arisen with the greenhouse crops in Marathon is that the majority of the producers had not insured them with ELGA, considering as a given that their production is protected and that there have been no extreme phenomena in the area so far.

Regarding the insured, he pointed out that the steps that will be followed are clear and provided by the ELGA regulation.

Regarding the uninsured, he stated that the models created in previous natural disasters will be taken into account and announced the establishment of a special Committee by ELGA and the Region for the receipt of declarations from affected producers.

He pointed out, however, that the law on greenhouse crop insurance has changed since 2012.

The assessment of the president of ELGA Andreas Lykourentzou is that this process will be completed by the end of February.

Based on the Commission’s estimates, proposals for compensation and for uninsured production will be submitted.

As Mr. Libanos said, any decision must be accompanied by two constants: First, the payment of compensations with justice and second, that the solution that will be found will be accompanied by insurance of the producers for the next years. “What is coming is clear. Scientists are telling us that now the disasters will hit Attica as well,” said Mr. Libanos. He stressed that there will be cooperation with the relevant ministries to find the required expenditure.

Finally ok. Libanos reminded that through the RDP, the Development Law and the Development Fund, there are important financial tools, which should be used by producers, in order to address current and long-term problems and, above all, to improve the situation to their advantage.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Makis Voridis, referring to the announcements of the Ministry of Interior, said that “we are on the right track”. He called for the uninsured to be treated with leniency, given that the weather was extremely unfavorable. He pointed out that based on the climate crisis, insurance must now be mandatory and noted that the framework that will be found as a solution must be integrated within the European context. “We must move fast,” said Mr. Voridis.

The MP Mr. George Vlachos proposed after the completion of the assessments to give aid to the victims, according to the standards of the advances of IANOS and the frost of last spring.

The Deputy Minister of Interior, Mr. Stelios Petsas, also requested the payment of an advance payment to the producers who have been affected.

MP Vassilis Oikonomou praised the speed of reaction of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Region, while calling for measures to address the new reality.

The Mayor of Marathon, Mr. Stergios Tsirkas, pointed out that in the area is produced most of the vegetables consumed by the inhabitants of the capital but also that there is a large floricultural production. He asked for care to be taken for the uninsured producers.

The president of the local Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, Mr. Alekos Varsos, said that 99% of the greenhouse crops are not insured. He asked for the special support of the young producers who, as he said, saw their dreams collapse from the snow. As he said, resources must be found because only the cleaning of the greenhouses from the debris, can cost even 10,000 euros.

The co-worker Mr. Elias Dalianis said that the real losses in floriculture will be seen in the coming days.

Athanasios Kelmager, president of the Central Anthagora of Athens, stressed that care must be taken for the young children who have invested in the area and that any bureaucratic problems must be overcome.

Finally, Mr. Libanos stressed that the strategy of the ministry is to strengthen the greenhouse and hydroponic crops as through them can not only increase production but also our products to gain added value.