Dairy farmers from Arta and Preveza have urged MPs from the north of Greece, particularly Epirus, to vote against the government’s controversial provision regarding the deregulation of the sale of milk, arguing that it will have a huge detrimental effect.
The farmers have dubbed the deregulation as a “Trojan horse”, which is intended to encourage milk imports and extend the shelf life of “fresh” milk and have warned that any MPs who vote in favor of the deregulation will be “unwanted in the country”.
According to the dairy farmers “beyond the laws and regulations deriving from large farming businesses and companies, fresh milk is the only type that goes directly from the dairy farmer to the consumer, after pasteurization”. The farmers note that the OECD-proposed deregulation will allow milk “of a questionable quality and nutritional value” will cheaply be introduced and sold as fresh milk, leading domestic producers to collapse.
The young farmers union of Preveza, in association with the Dairy Farmer Cooperative of Preveza and Arta, has arranged a conference for the 26th of March, in order to discuss their claims and coordinate their actions.
