The Region of Thessaly responded in the negative regarding the drafting of grazing management plans, referring this obligation to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, which had given the Regions a deadline to respond until April 19.
According to information, another 5 Regions have taken a similar negative attitude. Like the previous Regional Authority, the current one also did not want to draw up grazing management plans, despite the pressure exerted by the leadership of the HYPAAT. As colleagues of the regional governor Dimitris Kouretas argue, “it is not possible for the Region of Thessaly, without the necessary resources and with the lack of personnel it faces, to deal with this critical process within 1.5 years. How much more so when in the previous 9 years, when the country’s obligation to do so was valid, absolutely nothing was done.”
If we judge from the statements of the minister Lefteris Avgenakis, who persistently asked the regional governors to undertake the drawing up of the grazing plans themselves “because they know the local specificities”, it seems that neither side wants to take on this “hot potato » as it developed. The issue is that we have reached …para five and the country is at risk of stiff fines from the E.U. if it does not complete its grazing management plans by 2025. It is recalled that these will put an order in the rights with the pastures, as today, as the livestock breeders claim, “there is the ridiculous thing that they seem to have pastures not only outside the boundaries of their municipality, but in some cases also outside the Region!”. The problem seems to be twofold. On the one hand, financial, as neither the Ministry nor the Regions have the required funds for the drawing up of the Plans, on the other, political costs, as there is the fear of being charged with the failure to implement the Management Plans and a process that in the end may create more problems than what it seeks to solve.
Easter arrow
Thessalian breeders are talking about unfair competition regarding the availability of the Easter arrow on the market, since it has been overwhelmed by Romanian lambs. Traders taking advantage of the legislation that sees the stamp of origin of the animal as optional, bring lambs from the neighboring country to be slaughtered in the Prefecture of Larissa and then they leave, mainly in the Athens market as Greek. The selling price of the Romanian lamb ranges at 4.5 euros, as the Romanians, due to the mild winter, had enough lambs available and in fact at the desired – for the Greek market – kilograms (8 to 10), as a result of which the Greek breeder is under pressure in the negotiations , who considers that the lamb cannot leave the fold for less than €8, to cover the increased production costs. The assessment of the leadership of the Ministry of Development is based on the established situation that the consumer will buy the lamb at €10. Because if the local lambs are sold at €8/kg, and one euro is added for slaughter and transport costs, plus 50 minutes for at least the two middlemen needed to transport the lamb to the butcher and at least €1-1.50 the butcher’s profit , then the bill does not come out. On the contrary, the government scenario is implemented with the data of Romania. Days ago, the massacres that took place in the prefecture were based on agreements of 7.5 euros.
Traders at the present stage are not in a hurry to close deals, in order to test the endurance of the Greek breeder, betting on possible deals, in the face of the producer’s risk of his lambs remaining unsold.
Butchers
In the recent general assembly held by the members of the Butchers’ Guild of the Larissa Regional Unit at the Chamber, there was a strong concern due to the lack of Greek lambs. According to the president Evangelos Rizo “this year is one of the most difficult Easter periods, due to the lack of amnoerifia. Many factors have contributed to this, such as increased exports for the Catholic Easter, daniel losses. This year we are having a hard time finding the pounds we want. Final producer prices will be finalized on Lazarus Saturday. But it seems that we will have a small appreciation compared to last year”.
You are reminded that the checks of the veterinarians in the slaughterhouses are carried out normally, after the POGEDY strike was declared “illegal and abusive”. The director of Veterinary Medicine of the Pana Region. Tsiambalis states that “checks are carried out daily, there is excellent cooperation with all agencies (Ministry, EFET, ELOGAK) and checks will continue daily, whether on the street, or in slaughterhouses and butchers, despite the lack of staff we are facing”.
