“On many of the issues such as smallpox or OPEKEPE, our farmers and breeders are right (…) the subsidies have been delayed and there are some voices but knowing the people in Larissa, I estimate that there will be no deviations, there is respect for our National Holiday” told Alpha Radio 98.9 and Giorgos Evgenidis, the MP for Larisa of the ND, Christos Captain emphasizing that his region has been tested by great disasters, such as Daniel, Elias and smallpox.
Continuing, Mr. Kapetanos said that the plan must be submitted to Brussels by the 4th of November and that the compensations and subsidies must be paid by the end of November “we all owe it here because I am here and I live it, when you go out and see what people are going through” he said and added “a lot of money has been given but the problems are huge, if we go to December for payments people simply will not be able to live, there is no we haven’t found the way, we have to find it full stop” he underlined.
He focused on the fact that the meetings of Mr. Hatzidakis in Brussels showed that there is solidarity with Europe and he insisted on the need to give a schedule of payments to breeders and farmers so that they know when they will pay their expenses “clear answers are what our producers are asking for”, he emphasized.
Asked about this, Mr. Kapetanos said “maybe some things were not done in time by the ministry, but we are talking about a ministry that is fundamentally problematic, it does not have OPEKEPE, it does not have DAOK (Directorate of Agricultural Economy and Veterinary Medicine), how will it make policy from Athens?” he wondered.
“People want answers about what was stolen (ss OPEKEPE), but their biggest problem is the blessing because if someone has 1000 sheep and slaughters them, he loses his life and then you need a schedule to do your planning” he noted among others.
Finally, regarding the vaccine, after the statements of the regional governor Mr. Dimitris Kouretas, he said that Mr. Tsiaras had sent a letter to the Commission two months ago and was asking for information on whether there is a vaccine and the answer he got was that he did not get an answer about an appropriate vaccine.