Özgür Ferhat: 'Animal breeders suffered a great injustice'
SYRIZA Central Executive Board Member and Rhodope deputy candidate Özgür Ferhat noted that animal breeders were treated unfairly.
Defending that animal breeders have been left to their fate in recent years, Ferhat stated that up to 20 percent of the livestock breeders in Rhodope are deprived of the support given under the name of animal feed aid.
Özgür Ferhat emphasized that he will not remain silent in the face of unfair practices, will not leave people alone and helpless, and will use all means of political initiative.
Ferhat also argued that the 150 euro support premium per animal was spent for political purposes.
Ferhat made the following statements in his statement: “Dear animal breeders of our region - our producers, although you have been the backbone of the local and national economy for years and you have been the main supplier of meat, milk and other processed products, you have been left to your fate in recent years and are doomed to be crushed and destroyed under economic burdens. you were forced.
With the latest developments, up to twenty percent of you have been excluded from the support given under the name of animal feed aid in livestock breeding in our Rhodope province. In addition, since the support premium of 150 euros per head was spent for political purposes, it was incapable of producing solutions to potential problems.
The first reason for this is the penalty points given by OPEKEPE due to the lack or insufficient waste collection and expense system in the barns and dairy farms in the region.
The penalty of three percent of the previous years prevents the aid money that should be received this year.
The second reason is the income statement of the ministry according to the number of animals kept.
If the determined amount of income could not be obtained and declared by our producers and breeders, the aid given was excluded from the system and accelerated the economic collapse of our people.
The third and most unfair reason is that in many cases, due to the faulty operation of the OPEKEPE system, the amounts that should be deposited with the producer are not processed into the bank system at all or much less.
On the other hand, no amount was invested for those who were in the status of new producers or who had the right to breed livestock last year, as they did not show any income.
I declare that I will not remain silent in the face of unfair practices in this sector that is declining and doomed to extinction, that I will not leave our people alone and helpless, and that I will use all means of political initiative.
These unfair practices should be reviewed as soon as possible and the state should give our breeder-producers the money they are entitled to.
If this government cannot achieve this, I promise that I will be the strong voice and representative of the Rhodope province and especially our minority producers and breeders, if I become a deputy in the government that will be established in the new period.”
