Alexis Tsipras visited a livestock farm, where he was briefed on the devastating impact animal diseases have had on the country’s livestock, and sharply criticised the government’s handling of the crisis.
The former prime minister visited a farm with about 600 sheep, which the owner was forced to cull 13 months ago. He said the animal diseases had not been tackled using the appropriate scientific methods or vaccination to protect livestock farmers, but instead through blanket culling, even of animals that had merely developed antibodies. This had led to the depletion of domestic livestock production.
On the reasons for this approach, he argued that the government had avoided vaccination to avoid taking the livestock census that the relevant European Union committees would have required, as this would have exposed the rot at OPEKEPE over fictitious subsidies paid to non-producers.
He also stressed the dire position of affected producers, saying:
“For many months, these people have been surviving without an income, while the government offers them no prospect of rebuilding their herds.”
Tsipras called for the process of rebuilding herds to begin immediately, with 100% compensation from European funds, as well as the immediate registration and compensation of stored animal feed that cannot be used because of the risk of spreading the diseases.
Concluding, he posed a stark choice over the future of the primary sector, saying:
“The government must decide whether it wants production to continue in the country or a clientelist network of blue locusts feeding off the hard work of genuine producers.”