The Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, today, Monday 11/03/2024, at 11:00 in the morning at Megaro Maximos, meets the representatives of the institutional bodies of Thessaly and an hour and a half later the 15 representatives of the farmers.
This is a new page in the agricultural crisis with special features, as it is expected that the topic of compensation for those affected will be discussed, as well as the plan for the reconstruction of the area, in order for Thessaly to acquire anti-flood protection adapted to the conditions required by climate change.
Already in the hands of the prime minister and his close collaborators is the study of the Dutch (HVA International company) for the management of the water resources of the region with the aim of its reconstruction. However, what is pointed out by the government is that the aim is to start a consultation, as the Dutch report is not the final proposal for the reconstruction of the area. The aim is to present it to the farmers as a proposal, then to have a joint evaluation and finally, after their own interventions, to crystallize the final action plan. In essence, the prime minister wants to make the representatives of the primary sector of the region co-formators, in order to protect the Thessalian plain from similar catastrophic phenomena the next day.
Red line the compensations
The farmers are standing firm on the issue of compensation, asking for 100% of the damage to be compensated for household goods, mechanical equipment and also agricultural production that was “sunk” in the muddy waters. At the same time, they are expected to request the taking of immediate income replacement measures for 2024, a reduction in production costs but also non-application of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The Dutch model and the disputes
According to information in their report, the Dutch are proposing to increase the area of Karla Lake by 17,000 hectares, a proposal that has struck a chord with members of the district commission, who object that many hectares of arable land will be lost. However, the issue of the lake is serious, as approximately 120,000 acres remain under water and immediate drainage of the water is required as well as a definitive solution to prevent it from flooding again.
Thessalonians see positively the proposal for a partial diversion of the Acheloos, the dams and anti-flooding works proposed especially in the mountainous areas to contain the momentum of the waters, however they disagree. at the point of the report which claims that cotton is not a suitable crop for the plains, due to the fact that it needs a lot of water.
The government’s intentions
According to information, the prime minister is expected to announce the allocation of new funds in order to restore Thessaly to normalcy, as the cost of the damages exceeds 3 billion euros for infrastructure and compensation. For the first aid, 43 million euros have been allocated so far and concern 20,000 beneficiary farmers and breeders of Thessaly. As the Minister of Rural Development and Food had mentioned, the compensations from ELGA, which come from the state budget, are expected to exceed the initially calculated amount of 260 million euros. In terms of production costs, cheaper electricity has been announced for all farmers for the next 2+8 years.
For the individual farmers, a new Program exclusively for Farmers entitled “Photovoltaics in the Field”, amounting to 30 million euros, will be launched immediately. It is recalled that from April 1st, the advance payment of the Special Consumption Tax on agricultural oil, amounting to 41 million euros, will be credited to the accounts of the beneficiaries, while from 2025 the payment of the tax return will become permanent and a new method will be followed where 50% is not will be given but the refund amount will be linked to each farmer’s consumption.
Water Management Organization of Thessaly
The Dutch recommend as crucial the creation of a water management agency in the region with a strong and much more efficient management model for both infrastructure construction and water management. It should be pointed out that the fragmentation of responsibilities causes problems, which is why the Prime Minister emphasized in his post yesterday: “We are establishing the Water Management Organization of Thessaly in March, in which representatives of the local government and the farmers also participate, so that together we can organize on a new basis the vital infrastructures of the region with the help of scientific knowledge and with the systematic use of new technologies. The holistic plan for Thessaly to be implemented must become the property of society”.
The 15 representatives of farmers
Socrates Aleiftira
Sotiris Antoniou
Dimitris Galanis
Sotiris Giannakos
Yannis Kalogiantsidis
Yannis Koukoutsis
Aristides Kostopoulos
Rizos Maroudas
Christos Panzios
Thanasis Prassas
Garifalos Sveronopoulos
Yannis Sdralis
Pavlos Spyropoulos
Stelios Tsikritsis
Yannis Tsioutras
Source: newsbeast.gr
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