"The memorandum will bring a food crisis''

In his statements after today's meeting with representatives of agricultural associations from all over Greece, SYRIZA president Alexis Tsipras talked about the risk of a food crisis caused by the inability of farmers to produce wealth.

To initiate an immediate discussion of the problems of the rural world, Tsipras announced that within the day he will send a letter to the parliament president, which will call for a debate in parliament on the political party leaders' level. Tsipras launched an attack against the prime minister, expressing the hope that this time "Antonis Samaras, who has disappeared from parliament, will show up." "Enough with the communicative tricks," said the leader of the opposition, highlighting the dramatic situation in the rural world and beyond.

Farmers, he said, are anxiously asking to be able to produce wealth. They are not beggars, they do not ask for money; they ask to be able to produce. He added that memorandum policies are dissolving the fabric of Greece and leading to a food and humanitarian crisis, and asked everyone to reflect on their responsibilities. If not, he said, then the country will be forced to borrow constantly to be able to stand on its feet, which cannot solve any problem.

On behalf of the agricultural associations, Chr. Goyias said there is a new initiative of farmers’ associations that rallies tens of associations from all over Greece in order to claim the ability to produce products. Farmers are not begging, not asking for money, they are fighting for survival, but as he said, under the present circumstances it is impossible to produce because there is no setting for oil and the VAT tax. He also stressed the enormous problem of farmers not being able to borrow after the sale of the Agricultural Bank. For this reason, he added, farmers are seeking answers and decisions and not just words from the political leadership of Greece.