At the Ministry of Rural Development today, Friday (17/04), representatives of farmers of Lesvos, following an invitation by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas.
The meeting takes place in the wake of the three-day movements of farmers, who are calling for immediate measures to deal with the cases of foot-and-mouth disease on the island.
A mass rally was held yesterday in the town of Mytilene, with a march that ended at the Aegean General Secretariat. As part of the mobilization, commercial shops and catering businesses remained closed.
What the farmers are asking for
“We came here and we expect a solution to be found immediately, today, by the Ministry. The foot-and-mouth disease that has affected our animals has literally trapped us financially and today we absolutely have to find a solution before we go back,” said Themistoklis Kammenos, animal breeder – self-governor, and member of the delegation.
The solution, he explained, is “to get the products out normally. The cheese, the meat we produce. Since FMD is purely a zoonotic disease and does not affect humans, our curiosity and our wonder is why we can’t market the products.
We as producers are taking biosecurity measures. Measures are being taken at the port. There is no chance of the virus being transmitted from trucks, as we are told, or from refrigerators. And since cars and other kinds of goods are constantly being moved by trucks and trucks, how can it be transmitted from our products?”
