Zeybek: Government dragging agriculture toward collapse as producers struggle to survive
İskeçe MP Hüseyin Zeybek sharply criticized the government’s agricultural and livestock policies in a written press statement, claiming the sector is being “driven to the brink of extinction.” He emphasized that they stand firmly with producers who have long been battling severe hardships.
A Sector in Deep Crisis
Zeybek noted that rising production costs, cash-flow problems, the widening gap between producer and consumer prices, the impacts of the climate crisis, and the spread of animal diseases have pushed agriculture into a deep crisis. He recalled that more than 400,000 animals have been culled nationwide over the past 15 months due to disease outbreaks, with Eastern Macedonia–Thrace and Thessaly suffering the heaviest losses.
OPEKEPE Scandal Further Damaging Trust
Referring to the corruption scandal within OPEKEPE, the agency responsible for agricultural payments, Zeybek said the system for distributing agricultural subsidies has been severely compromised. He accused the government of using EU funds for political interests instead of directing them to “real producers,” adding that findings from the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee show the scandal was “coordinated” at the governmental level.
Zeybek also pointed out that, although the government announced a €580 million support package, producers ultimately received only €280 million, deepening the sector’s crisis of confidence. He added that due to delayed inspections, thousands of farmers and livestock breeders received no support at all.
He stressed that the €415 million fine imposed on Greece and the €150 million financial loss caused by the OPEKEPE scandal have also worsened the situation, noting that the large-scale farmer protests clearly reflect the seriousness of the crisis.
Call for Strategic Reforms
Concluding his statement, Zeybek underscored the need for strategic policies, stronger institutional structures, and comprehensive reforms to secure a sustainable future for the agricultural sector.
“We must act with a shared will to prevent the depopulation of rural areas, safeguard national food security, and stop agricultural production from collapsing irreversibly,” he said.
