Olive growers of the Miri region organise a demonstration

Olive growers whose olive trees were burnt in the Miri region of Alexandroupoli province in a massive fire that started last summer in the Evros region and then spread to a large area demanded compensation for the damages.

In the summer of 2023, olive producers gathered in Alexandroupoli with their tractors in a demonstration to convey their demands following a major fire disaster in the region.

The first stop of the march started from Miri was the Alexandroupolis Municipality building, followed by the building of the Regional Presidency of Eastern Macedonia Thrace representative office.

The demands of the activists consisting of olive producers were listed as follows:

- An immediate advance of 50 euros for each olive tree burned and the inspection must be carried out from ELGA levels by the end of May 2024 and the amount must be over 100 euros.

- In 2021, compensation for the frost event was granted per tree by ELGA

- Payment of 30 euros for each olive tree burnt due to loss of income for four consecutive years (from January 2025).

- 100% direct, rather than piecemeal, payment of state aid for damage to agricultural machinery, tanks, boreholes, tyres and similar equipment (as in the case of livestock farmers and Thessaly) and additional support for earthworks necessary to restore the land.

-Supporting businesses in the olive sector, such as olive mills and small agribusinesses.

- Implementation of a ceiling of 7 cents per kilowatt hour for agricultural electricity.

- New olive tree plantings in the Miri region should only be planted with the local Miri (Makri) variety and the Makris variety saplings should be certified by the state.

- Provide the necessary support to young farmers, producers in fire-affected areas, to enable their participation in recovery programmes.

- Finally, to bring experts together to provide information in order to overcome the problems more quickly and to make the olives more productive again.