Grain producers seek emergency support in Western Thrace
In a joint statement, the two chambers warned that thousands of grain farmers are facing severe financial hardship due to a sharp decline in producer prices coupled with persistently high production costs. They stressed that the current situation poses a serious threat to the future of cereal cultivation across the region.
In their letter to the minister, the chambers argued that emergency support is essential not only to safeguard farmers' incomes but also to ensure the sustainability of the local economy, protect national food security and preserve the social fabric of rural communities.
According to the letter, agriculture in the regional units of İskeçe and Rodop, as well as the wider Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region, is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. Producers of durum wheat, soft wheat and barley have seen market prices fall significantly, while the costs of energy, agricultural inputs, fertilizers and fuel remain exceptionally high.
The chambers warned that if current conditions persist, many producers may abandon grain cultivation altogether, with far-reaching consequences for local businesses, agricultural suppliers and the food processing sector.
They also cautioned that declining domestic grain production would increase Greece’s reliance on imports while accelerating rural depopulation and weakening local communities.
The organizations noted that existing support provided under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is insufficient to offset the losses suffered by farmers under the current extraordinary circumstances. They therefore called for the immediate activation of de minimis aid.
Specifically, the chambers requested the approval and implementation of extraordinary per-hectare financial support for grain producers in Rodop and İskeçe, along with the swift completion of administrative procedures so that payments can be made before the start of the next production season.
The letter concludes that assistance for grain producers should be regarded not merely as economic relief but as a matter of national importance for maintaining rural life and preserving the country's agricultural production capacity.
