Agricultural Min Tsiaras: New crisis management tools needed to support the agricultural sector

Athens.– Agricultural Development and Food Minister Kostas Tsiaras met with the new European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen, on the sidelines of the EU Agriculture Ministers’ Council.
Tsiaras highlighted the impact of Storm Daniel and the significant damage it caused to agriculture and livestock, stressing the need for new
European crisis management tools to support the agricultural sector. He also emphasized the role of small and medium-sized farmers in sustaining rural areas and the importance of supporting them to prevent the abandonment of agricultural activity. Tsiaras mentioned Greece’s goal to increase the share of organic farming from 9.5% to 16%.

Hansen outlined his short-term priorities, which include strengthening the position of farmers in the agri-food chain, addressing unfair trade practices and simplifying legislation to reduce the administrative burden on farmers and authorities. He expressed support for reforms in the

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to assist young and small producers. Hansen also acknowledged that the agricultural reserve is insufficient to cover losses in the primary sector caused by natural disasters.

During the Council meeting, Tsiaras emphasized that protecting Greek farmers and strengthening the primary sector is an absolute priority for Greece. He noted that Greece’s commitment goes beyond the survival of the primary sector, focusing on its revitalization to make agricultural production and rural areas pillars of development and stability for Europe.

In the livestock sector, Tsiaras stressed the urgent need to address the cases of sheep pox, highlighting the economic and practical implications of the restrictions on livestock farmers. He also called for support for beekeeping and urged measures to regulate imports of Ukrainian honey into Bulgaria and Romania, pointing out the effects of the economic, energy and climate crises on the sector.