The government’s strong concern about the increases in the price of fertilizers, but also its readiness for immediate interventions to support farmers, expressed the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, in an interview with SKAI radio.
The minister explained that the increase in fertilizer prices is directly linked to the rise in energy costs, especially oil, noting that this development has already begun to put pressure on agricultural production.
“Because we have been following this whole development from the very first moment at the highest level of government and the Prime Minister said in Larissa the day before yesterday that we are prepared to take any measure in order to support the agricultural world in this regard through this development, which is obviously a consequence of the war in the Middle East,” he said.
“The directions in which one can move are two: one is the ceiling and the other is the more general support given from time to time,” he stressed.
He said the government has proven in the past that it intervenes when circumstances require it, either during the pandemic or during the energy crisis.
He concluded by reiterating that final decisions are expected to be taken soon. “What I can tell you is that decisions on this issue will be taken within the week,” he assured.
At the same time, the minister also referred to the interventions made in the past period at OPEKEPEPE, noting that the aim of the changes is to ensure transparency and fair distribution of aid.
He said, “the steps taken in the past period for OPEKEPE are brave and politically costly, which show us that the next day will be different and the feeling is that the money will go to the real beneficiaries and not to those who wanted to cheat.”
