Greek Business Chamber urges emergency support for farmers amid sheep pox crisis in Thrace

The Professional and Craft Chamber of Rhodope has called for urgent government intervention to support livestock farmers and agri-food businesses on the escalating impact of sheep pox in the region of Thrace.

In an official letter addressed to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the Ministry of Finance, the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, and the Hellenic Agricultural Insurance Organization, the chamber highlighted the severe economic disruption caused by the prolonged outbreak of sheep pox.

Severe Impact on Agriculture and Dairy Sector
According to the chamber, the outbreak has had far-reaching consequences not only for livestock farming but also for the region’s food processing industry—particularly the dairy sector, a cornerstone of the local economy.

Businesses report:

• Significant loss of raw materials, especially sheep milk, due to livestock culling
• Sharp declines in production capacity
• Revenue losses amounting to millions of euros
• A shrinking network of livestock suppliers across the Thrace milk production zone

These developments, the chamber warned, are placing immense pressure on enterprises and risk destabilizing the entire regional production chain.

Calls for Immediate Policy Action
Despite the severity of the crisis, the chamber noted the absence of a comprehensive and targeted support framework for processing industries—unlike measures implemented during previous agricultural health crises in other parts of Greece.

“This disparity raises serious concerns about equal treatment and deepens the sense of abandonment felt by businesses in border regions like Thrace,” the letter stated.

Key Demands
The chamber outlined several urgent measures:

• Official recognition of indirect damages suffered by processing businesses due to livestock diseases
• Activation of financial support tools through national and EU resources, including de minimis aid schemes
• Implementation of targeted regional support measures tailored to the scale and duration of the outbreak
• Strategic interventions to rebuild the milk production zone and safeguard the sustainability of PDO (Protected
• Designation of Origin) products

Risk to Regional Stability
The chamber stressed that immediate government action is essential to prevent further deterioration and ensure the survival of a sector vital to both regional development and the national economy.

It also expressed readiness to cooperate with authorities in designing effective policy responses.