Livestock farmers from Menidi (Acharnes), from Galatzi, from Glyfada with the Board of Directors of Livestock Association of Attica Region, made a first symbolic protest on Monday, 16 Nov 2021, at 11.30, for the problems of Greek livestock farming in Attica Region (15-17 Syngrou Avenue, ATHENS).
The embellished situation for livestock farming, which the political leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, with every means of communication available, is confronted with the unsustainable harsh reality experienced by all the livestock farmers in our country.
The Ms. Magda Kontogianni, breeder, secretary of the Livestock Association of Attica Region and member of the Coordinating Working Group of Livestock Breeders, sent an informative PRESS RELEASE on 12/11/2021 to the media published by those who understand and respect Greek citizens.
Also, Mrs Magda Kontogianni informed that all the members of the Attica countryside were informed in writing about the problems of Greek livestock farming and the specific problems of the peri-urban livestock farming of Attica. Immediately afterwards, The Livestock Association of Attica Region seeks to inform all Members of Parliament about the need for balance in the environment, even in Attica.
The performance in the Region of Attica, aimed to inform the elected political leadership of the Region about the problems of livestock farming. Unfortunately, from a long-standing peculiar exclusion of farmers from the Regional Governor, the Livestock Association of Attica Region is not informed, nor does it participate in some procedures, although it is the only Association at the level of the Region, nor has the Regional Governor ever (until today?) accepted the Livestock Association of the Region of Attica, as an organization of Civil Society.
The numerous delegation of the organized Livestock Association of Attica Region, received at his office (84 Sygrou Avenue, ATHENS) the Delegate Councillor for Agricultural Attica Mr. Stavros Voydonikolas and the Director General of Agricultural Economy, Livestock & Fisheries of Attica, Mrs. Olga Zalumi.
The representatives of the Livestock Association of Attica Region, Mr. Yannis Kontogiannis (President), Mrs. Magda Kontogianni (Secretary), Mr. Takis Perloretzos, ka Fillio Kratsa, κ Thanasis Novas & κ Costas Mantzouranis, asked for the support of the Region of Attica in general issues of Greek livestock farming to the Ministry of Rural Development & Food with special reference to:
- Problem of expensive inputs (feed, energy, oil, etc.).
- Withdrawal of articles of the EIA 873 & EIA 1217, on the points concerning livestock farmers. Retention of the articles on aid fraudsters.
- Distribution of National Stock.
- Representation of farmers in all bodies and committees of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Region.
The livestock industry of Attica is suffering a ruthless persecution to cement the pastures, to level the stables and paddocks & to homogenize the environment against sustainable-sustainable diversity.
Among the most serious problems of livestock farming in Attica, is the lack of stable land use, the aggressive expansion of cement, which levelling out existing livestock facilities and destroys the way of life of the farmers and the complexity of the licensing of livestock business, which shall be tantamount to a ban on the production of food of animal products.
Mr S. Boydonikolas and Ms O. Zaloumi informed that the draft law on «Measures to facilitate and modernize the establishment and operation of livestock facilities, provisions for the conduct of controls and the imposition of penalties and other urgent regulations of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food» has already been submitted to the Parliament by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. It should be noted that the Livestock Association of Attica, until last week, was anxiously seeking institutional information on the results of the consultation on the licensing of livestock facilities, in which the Livestock Association of Attica actively participated, without being able to find any institutional response.
Mr S. Boydonikolas, offered to support the just demands of the farmers of Attica to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (1) to avoid the violent change of their way of life, (2) for the respect of the operating livestock farms, (3) for the creation of food production and livestock activity areas in the countryside of Attica (Livestock Parks etc.) and (4) for linking local consumption (tourism, catering, gastronomy) with local agricultural production.
The farmers of Attica continue to struggle with the daily care of their livestock, with the intensity of work due to seasonal births, with the systematic devaluation of their social and economic contribution, and every Wednesday, at 12.00 the Livestock Association of Attica Region organizes public online discussions on issues of interest. The Wednesday, 17 Nov 2021, on 12.00 at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85745322229 the open public debate will concern the new type of electronic his invoices MyDATA even for stables and pens...
The Livestock Association of Attica expressed its surprise that the Governor of Attica in 6η Consultation of the Ministry of Agriculture for the CAP (Megara, 7/10/2021) did not mention the livestock sector of Attica in primary production, addressing Eur. Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Janusz Wojciechowski.
Ms Magda Kontogianni, a farmer, pointed out the irony that, at the same time, today there was a workshop on the new Regional Operational Programme «Attica 2021-2027», at the National Gallery, without inviting organisations at the level of the Region of Attica, such as the Livestock Association of the Region of Attica. Ms. M. Kontogianni expressed fears that the Attica MIP 2021-2027 drawn up in absentia and without even information of the breeders of Attica, may be hostile to livestock entrepreneurship .... despite the fact that the Livestock Association of Attica discussed and compiled the «Vision 2040 of the Attica Countryside», which he communicated to everyone (14/4/2021), to the Ministry of Agriculture (8/2/2021) and to the EU (31/1/2021).
