In the fundamental significance of OPECEPE The Minister of Rural Development mentioned the survival of the primary sector and the need for systemic reinforcement of the agri -food chain Costas Tsiaraswhen placing it on the 2nd Cantina Academy, emphasizing the need for strategic control and stability in all phases, from production to the end consumer.
At the same time, as he pointed out, there is a possibility of a food crisis in the future.
As he explained, the government must in a timely detect the causes that distort production and markets, whether it is geopolitical rearrangements or climate crisis, and respond with targeted public policies.
It highlighted the need to ensure the integrity and functionality of the supply chain, noting that the policies of reinforcement of the primary sector are not exhausted in supporting the traditional model, but extend from cooperative organization to greenhouse cultivation, processing and digitization, especially for young people.
As he pointed out, all of these constitute a grid of government choices aimed at ensuring the long -term durability of the agri -food system.
At the heart of his speech was the issue of OPEKEPE’s management, with the Minister stating that the organization is ‘Extremely critical pillar’ of the agricultural ecosystem.
It distributes European resources, which are decisively supporting the viability of the primary sector and contributes decisively to social cohesion, mainly to rural areas.
He recalled that the Common Agricultural Policy remains a key tool for supporting producers and that OPEKEPE regularly makes 2-3 payments per month, stressing that it is a high government priority to ensure the smooth flow of these resources.
Referring to the government’s decision to integrate OPEKEPE into the structure of AADE, Mr Tsiaras admitted that there were evidence of malfunctions and suspicions of mismanagement, but – as he pointed out – this could not be ignored or hidden.
On the contrary, he said, specific actions have been implemented for a long time aimed at the transparency and shielding of the body.
Among them is the planned reinforcement of OPEKEPE’s control, with the immediate recruitment of 100 additional executives, which will make a decisive contribution to intensifying intersections.
The minister recalled that the largest number of cross -checks in OPEKEPE history was recorded in the previous year, noting that “we do not stop there”.