Livestock crisis in Xanthi: Zeybek blames government for loss of 30,000 animals
New Left MP calls for urgent action amid mounting agricultural crisis in Thrace.
As the sheep and goat pox epidemic continues to spread across Greece, Hüseyin Zeybek, MP for Xanthi with the New Left party, has accused the government of severe negligence. “In Xanthi alone, over 30,000 small ruminants have been culled. The local population is paying the price for the government’s incompetence,” Zeybek said.
He criticized the Ministry of Agriculture for lacking a coherent response plan, despite the nationwide toll surpassing 120,000 culled animals. “Just in June, 13 new cases were confirmed in Xanthi. Yet, there's no functional plan in place—nor a clear support timetable for affected farmers,” he warned.
Zeybek emphasized that producers still lack clarity on compensation and feed subsidies, calling the delays and uncertainty “demoralizing and destructive.” He urged immediate rollout of Support Program 5.2, aimed at restocking herds, and insisted that linked aid payments be fully delivered to all affected farmers.
“Thrace’s livestock sector has been abandoned,” Zeybek declared, demanding fair and transparent support. “Farmers are not asking for charity—they’re demanding their rightful support to keep producing,” he concluded.
