Farmers in İskeçe warn of subsidy losses over satellite “monitoring” system

Farmers in the northeastern Greek region of Thrace are calling for an urgent deadline extension to correct flagged land parcels under the country’s agricultural “monitoring” system, warning that hundreds risk losing vital EU-linked subsidies.

The photo-based inspection process — known to producers through the “Agrisnap” application — requires farmers to upload geotagged images of their fields when satellite controls fail to verify declared crops. However, local producers say widespread flooding and technical malfunctions have made compliance nearly impossible.

Flooded Fields, Missed Deadlines

The deadline for correcting “yellow-flagged” parcels expires on February 27, but farmers argue that adverse weather conditions have left many plots inaccessible.

In İskeçe prefecture, the issue affects farmland in Potamia and Iliopetra, where standing water has prevented farmers from entering their fields to take the required photos.

“We went with boots, but some plots are simply not accessible,” said Dionysis Dontsos, head of the Farmers’ Coordinating Committee of İskeçe, in comments to local media. “If no extension is granted, many parcels will remain unpaid.”

He noted that while flooding in İskeçe is less severe than in Evros and Komotini, dozens of local farmers have still been unable to complete the process.

How the Monitoring System Works

Under Greece’s agricultural subsidy framework, satellite imagery is used to verify declared crops. When the system cannot confirm cultivation — due to cloud cover, tree shading, ploughing, or seasonal timing — farmers must submit photographic evidence via the Agrisnap app.

Producers argue the process is fundamentally flawed.

“For example, I may have declared cotton or wheat,” Dontsos explained. “But the satellite did not recognize the crop. We are then asked to take photos in February. Wheat is harvested in June. Cotton after October. If the field has already been ploughed, what exactly are we supposed to photograph — the soil?”

Farmers say this mismatch between crop cycles and inspection timing has led to repeated payment delays and exclusions.

Risk of Losing EU Subsidies

According to Dontsos, the problem has persisted for three consecutive years, with some farmers reportedly excluded from payments altogether.

“Last year, ten of my fields — 130 stremmas — were excluded from payment,” he said, adding that many producers in the region faced similar outcomes.

Farmers also cite technical failures within the Agrisnap platform, describing it as unreliable and, at times, non-functional. They argue that without a deadline extension — ideally through the end of March — producers will struggle to complete both compliance procedures and the upcoming sowing season.

“This process concerns last year’s crops,” Dontsos said. “If a farmer planted cotton last year but wheat this year, how can he prove what was cultivated previously?”

Call for Immediate Extension

Local producers are urging the government to extend the correction deadline and reassess the monitoring framework to prevent unjust exclusions from subsidy payments.

Failure to do so, they warn, could deepen financial pressure on the primary sector in northeastern Greece, where agriculture remains a central pillar of the regional economy.

Government authorities have not yet announced whether an extension will be granted.