Agricultural conference in İskeçe focuses on mercosur deal, energy costs and EU farm policy

Key challenges facing Greece’s agricultural sector, including the Mercosur trade agreement, rising energy costs, and the European Union’s new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), dominated discussions at an agricultural conference held in İskeçe on Saturday.

The conference, organized by associations representing agricultural and photovoltaic sector interests, brought together policymakers, local officials, and industry representatives to discuss strategies for supporting Greece’s primary production sector.

Local Authorities Back Farmers’ Demands
Representing the Municipality of İskeçe, City Council President Giannis Dremsizis reaffirmed the strong support of local authorities for farmers facing economic pressure.

Speaking on behalf of Mayor Stratos Kontos, Dremsizis stressed that the municipality stands firmly alongside producers in their demands toward the central government.

Among the key proposals highlighted during the conference were:

• Suspending the Mercosur trade agreement, which farmers fear could increase competition from South American agricultural products
• Reducing energy costs for producers through improved access to photovoltaic systems
• Accelerating the Nestos irrigation project to address water shortages in the region
• Agriculture Seen as National Priority

Participants emphasized that developing a long-term and sustainable strategy for the agricultural sector should be considered a national priority.

They noted that stronger coordination between central government policies and local institutions is essential to ensure the economic survival of rural communities in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, a region heavily dependent on agriculture.

Karamanlis Calls for Immediate Support Measures
Former Greek prime minister Kostas Karamanlis also addressed the conference, warning that the current economic challenges could impact the agricultural sector more severely than any other industry.

Karamanlis called for the immediate implementation of a comprehensive support plan for farmers, outlining several policy proposals:

• Fair restructuring of non-performing agricultural loans, with strict implementation of the law addressing excessive interest charges (Law 3259/2004)
• Allocation of six million hectares of unused state land to young farmers, combined with low-interest loans and fewer collateral requirements
• Creation of modern cooperative structures, managed professionally and operating with business-oriented standards to boost the competitiveness of Greek agricultural production

He stressed that strengthening the agricultural sector is critical not only for the national economy, but also for maintaining social stability and rural livelihoods across Greece.