Government in talks with farmers on facilitating their access to farmers' markets
Dialogue between the government and farmers on facilitating their ease of access to farmers' markets is in the final stages, General Secretary for Trade and Consumer Protection Sotiris Anagnostopoulos told reporters on Sunday. He noted that the government wants an increase in options available to consumers and greater competition to drive down prices, while it aims to ease the consumers' direct access to farmers.
Among the proposals being considered are a greater number of farmers' markets, known in Greece as 'laikes' or people's markets, and the possibility of evening markets. Currently, such markets include a mix of farmers and traders, while the aim is to enhance the number of farmers.
Final decisions on when and how many such markets will take place will be made by local authorities, while the new markets will be chiefly set up in urban centres in the regions, with farmers able to operate their own stall within the limits of their regional unit.
Farmers, on their part, assert that it is more important to facilitate their participation in existing markets than to add new ones, while pointing to organisational issues, such as lighting for evening markets.
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