Thracian tobacco farmers demand inclusion in EU support package
Sinan Ahmet, President of the Thrace Tobacco Producers Cooperative, has called on Greece’s Ministry of Agriculture to include tobacco farmers in the “Measure 23” support package, expressing the sector’s urgent need for financial assistance amid rising costs and declining participation.
In a letter addressed to the Ministry, Ahmet stated that 2,312 of the cooperative’s 8,281 registered members are active tobacco growers.
He highlighted that the number of people engaged in tobacco farming is steadily decreasing, citing poverty, high insurance and tax burdens, and soaring costs for fuel, fertilizer, and pesticides as driving factors.
“Tobacco producers are living below the poverty line. That’s why people are abandoning the crop,” Ahmet wrote.
The letter emphasized that “basma” tobacco—a historically significant variety cultivated in Thrace—has growing demand in international markets, with 98% of local production exported. Ahmet warned that if domestic production collapses, companies may turn to countries like Turkiye and Bulgaria, jeopardizing Greece’s position in the global tobacco market.
He also expressed deep disappointment that the €78 million in aid announced on May 27 under Measure 23 does not include tobacco. “This exclusion is unfair. We’ve suffered heavily due to drought, just like other farmers. Public authorities have acknowledged these losses,” Ahmet stressed.
“Thousands of jobs and businesses rely on tobacco. It is vital to our economy, especially in the Rhodope region,” he added, urging the government to recognize the sector’s importance and include tobacco in future aid measures.
