The farmers of the whole country blocked the roads linking the north to the south, while the Cretan farmers blocked the roads leading from the west to the east. The government heard their pleas, and offered a 645 million euro salvage packet for Greek farmers who have lost a quarter of their income over the last decade (and from what I understand, this is a problem in farming worldwide). But this package did not include Cretan farmers.
Why? Maybe because they think we're rich(er than other Greek farmers). But we're still a part of Greece, so why did the government discriminate against the Cretan farmers whose produce feeds the country throughout the winter? I know the sunshine is free, but surely Cretan farmers also run up costs, suffer losses and work hard to produce a good crop. They certainly don't have the same field area as farmers in the north, who need a huge expanse of land to produce crops like cotton and tobacco (neither of which are eaten).
The Cretan farmers have rejected the package saying it offers too little for their region. Other agricultural groups are keeping a key border crossing with Bulgaria closed, complaining that the government assistance plan provides no long-term solution to their declining income.
Now the Cretan farmers have taken their protest over handouts to Athens today by driving their tractors into the city center at the same time that Agricultural Development Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis will be attempting to convince the European Union that the 500 million euros the Greek government wants to pump into the ailing sector does not contravene the bloc’s rules.The farmers did eventually get to Pireaus with their tractors. Riot police blocked groups of protesting Cretan farmers from leaving the port of Piraeus, Greece's busiest, early Monday morning. The farmers, roughly 1,100 strong with scores of pick-up trucks and a few dozen tractors, disembarked from three ferry boats arriving from the large Aegean island in order to hold a protest in front of the agriculture ministry in downtown Athens.
My compatriots came armed (they threw potatoes at the police); they insisted on seeing the Minister of Agriculture (who was in Brussels at the time), and they tried to drive their tractors in the roads of Athens (diesel-powered vehicles are forbidden in the congested areas of the capital). I don't know what the outcome of this will be, but I can't imagine anything positive will come out of it. If anything is promised, promises are meant to be broken. And in the current economic climate, especially given that Greece is heavily in debt, surely only a fool would believe what is being promised.
In any case, the Cretans have managed so far to halt ship traffic to Crete - no ferry boat is leaving the harbours destined for Megalonisos (the Big Island, as we are nicknamed) - and the farmers are camping out at the port tonight, so there's bound to be a party going on in the evening at Pireaus. Just keep an ear out for the mantinades and you'll find them.
UPDATE: So it's back home on theTuesday evening ferry boat for the Cretan farmers, who made their presence known in Athens, which they claim was their main prerogative in going to Athens. The were met by many opposition politicians (Greece is heading for early elections, so now is a good time to campaign), while the only government officials to meet with them were representatives from the police, who used tear gas, even while one of the opposition politicians was present 'in support of the Cretan farmers' (don't forget that he is also demanding the resignation of the government and early elections).
Well, we all had our fun, didn't we?
Oh my! Power to the people Maria!
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame when non-edible commodity crops take over such a large expanse of arable, potential-food-supplying areas. Please keep us posted on the outcome . . .
ReplyDeleteOh boy. I'll pray for a good outcome. Keep us posted.
ReplyDeletethe rest of greece also produces worthy crops, but i think the government has a problem with farmers who aren't into full-time farming; they want to subsidise only full-timers, not those who farm as a secondary job - most cretans can't afford to do this anyway, but they still work all day producing so much food that gets transported all over the country, and why shouldn't they have another job? on an island like this one, where office work is hard to find, the tourist trade is always a good option, and it pays, but your land is still producing, so you don't just let it go to waste...
ReplyDeleteIn America, farmer's markets are becoming very popular. These farmers are able to charge a premium for their high-quality organic produce. They provide a valuable service to us "city dwellers".
ReplyDeleteCorn farmers are subsidized by the government, and from what I understand, if they grow anything other than corn, they lose their subsidy. So it's a difficult decision for them to make the leap, especially in a rural area that's far away from a big city.
I saw the Cretan farmers the Greek news...note to the Greek gov't...you're in the Sh**T when you've pissed of Cretans.
ReplyDeleteGoodness - I hope it gets resolved. Here we're having strikes in energy companies complaining about companies hiring foreign workers over local ones. Some of the things being said are horrible - just when I thought we were starting to get less xenophobic, this happens :( I think the company in question has handled it very badly, and the government are being clueless about addressing concerns, but it still is leaving me with a very bad taste in my mouth.
ReplyDeleteI personally thought that the potatoes were a much better choice than the firebombs the teenagers were using to burn down businesses in Athens.
ReplyDeleteThe television footage last night of the tractors and the riot police really was classic. Only in Greece, where people understand the importance of public theater in standing up for one's rights.
ReplyDeleteIf only people here protested like that!
ReplyDeleteMaybe they will in time.