Compensation for livestock and income<\/b>, feed aid and support for milk production in Lesvos<\/b> aimed at immediately relieving farmers from foot-and-mouth disease<\/b>.<\/p>\n
A state of emergency has been placed in Lesbos<\/b> as the spread of FMD causes a severe blow to the livestock industry<\/b>, with thousands of animals<\/b> being driven to slaughter and production being tested<\/b>. In this suffocating context, Margaritis Schinas presents a multi-layered plan<\/b> of economic intervention combining compensation, targeted aid<\/b> and specific measures to support producers<\/b>, attempting to halt the economic collapse of the sector<\/b> and ensure the viability of farms<\/b> amidst strict limitations and intensive controls<\/b>.<\/p>\n
More specifically, the integrated framework of financial support<\/b> for those affected by foot-and-mouth disease in Lesvos<\/b> consists of four axes<\/b> as announced by Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas<\/b>.<\/p>\n
The axes<\/h3>\n
The axes, as Mr. Schinas said that the axes consist of:<\/p>\n
* Compensation for animals killed, with coverage per animal under the current institutional framework.
* Compensation for loss of income, up to 70 euros for sheep and goats over 6 months old and 35 euros for younger animals or breeding animals.
* Aid for increased feed costs, through a de minimis scheme for farmers in restriction zones.
* Specific compensation for milk destroyed or not produced due to the restrictive measures, in coordination with the European Commission.<\/p>\n
As the minister in charge said, the aim of the interventions is to provide immediate and substantial support to producers, not only for losses in livestock, but also for the wider economic impact.<\/p>\n
A central element of the government’s strategy is the strengthening of biosecurity measures. “If we don’t build a strong biosecurity shield, everything else will not work,” he said, stressing that there will be no tolerance for any kind of malpractice, such as obstruction of veterinary inspections.<\/p>\n
At the same time, Mr. Schinas described the situation in Lesvos as a matter of the highest priority for the government and the European Union, stressing that this is a complex crisis with local, national and potentially European dimensions.<\/p>\n
“We are managing a difficult situation, with many stakes and no room for error,” he said, noting that just last week the European Commission welcomed the Greek government’s handling of the island. <\/p>\n
At the same time, he did not fail to mention the responsibilities that led to the current situation, noting that repeated warnings by the ministry in charge were ignored at local and regional level. “It is a time of battle and crisis and we must manage it in the best possible way,” he stressed.<\/p>\n
As the Minister of Rural Development and Food announced, following consultation with the Ministry of National Defence, Lesvos, apart from the transfer of 10 veterinarians of ELGO-DIMITRA, will be reinforced with an additional 13 military veterinarians, while 7 more will be sent to neighbouring areas.<\/p>\n
According to the data presented, 43 confirmed cases have been recorded in 54 farms on the island, while 9,439 sheep and goats and 257 cattle have been killed as part of the disease containment measures.<\/p>\n
At the same time, 11.652 blood samples have been taken and more than 21,000 samples have been laboratory tested.<\/p>\n
With regard to the possibility of vaccination, the competent of the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Veterinary Affairs, Mary Gianniou, clarified that it is not yet the right time. As noted, the priority is the completion of surveillance and eradication of the disease, while vaccination can only act as a complementary measure and not as an immediate solution.<\/p>\n
Finally, according to the Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, Spyros Protopsaltis, he noted that in Evros the competent services are on alert, while there is constant communication with the regions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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