As part of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair, EDOTOKK organised an event that brought together friends and members of the Organisation, as well as representatives of the state.
The discussion focused on the challenges and expectations of the sector. EDOTOKK stressed that, beyond the initiatives it expects from the state in the field of livestock farming, with an emphasis on the design and implementation of investment programmes for the primary sector, it is ready to contribute actively itself, by submitting well-documented proposals that will support the viability and competitiveness of the sector’s businesses.
The discussion is particularly significant in view of the new Common Agricultural Policy 2028–2034 and the National Dialogue currently under way. As noted during the fourth session of the National Dialogue on the new CAP, Greece has the potential to mobilise resources of more than EUR 20 billion for agriculture and rural areas in the new programming period.
For EDOTOKK, the critical issue is for these available resources to be turned into substantive productive investments. Particular emphasis must be placed on modernising livestock holdings, making use of new technologies, reducing production costs and strengthening the sector’s productivity and competitiveness.
This direction becomes even more important as the recovery and modernisation of livestock farming have been placed among the priorities of the dialogue on the new CAP. The climate crisis, the ageing of the farming population and the epizootic diseases that have struck Greek livestock farming highlight the need for a new production model, designed with real knowledge of the conditions in which livestock businesses operate.
In this context, EDOTOKK underlines the importance of the substantive participation of people in production and of the sector’s institutional representatives in designing the policies that will shape the next day of Greek livestock farming.
The President of EDOTOKK, Athanasios Kasidis, stated:
The presence of friends, members and representatives of the state at this event shows that our sector has a voice and the will to co-shape its future. EDOTOKK does not wait passively for developments; we are committed to contributing actively to the dialogue on the new CAP and on the primary sector more broadly.
The more than EUR 20 billion that can be mobilised under the new CAP are a great opportunity for the primary sector, and livestock farming must have a distinct and substantial place in it. We need investments that genuinely reach the rural economy, so that the Greek livestock farmer can modernise their holding and remain competitive. Above all, however, Greek livestock farming needs stable, long-term planning — and EDOTOKK is here to contribute to it with specific, well-documented proposals.
For his part, the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. Margaritis Schinas, said in a statement on the occasion of the EDOTOKK event:
The next day for the primary sector cannot be built without dialogue, cooperation and the substantive participation of people in production. The new Common Agricultural Policy 2028–2034 is a great opportunity to give new momentum to Greek agriculture and livestock farming and to shape a new production model that is more resilient, competitive and outward-looking. The resources that can be mobilised, of more than EUR 20 billion, for rural development over the next six years, acquire real value when they are turned into production, investment, competitiveness and added value.
Livestock farming is a critical pillar of Greek production and its support is an integral part of this planning. The impact of epizootic diseases, the climate crisis and the constant pressure on production costs make the need for targeted interventions, investment and a stable framework even more pressing, so that livestock businesses can stand tall and look to the future with greater security and optimism.
The state must listen to the people in production and the sector’s institutional bodies. The national dialogue on the new CAP is precisely the framework within which we can co-shape the Greek positions and fight in Europe for a strong, adequately funded and flexible CAP, adapted to the particularities and needs of Greek production.
Cooperation with bodies such as EDOTOKK is valuable. We want proposals to start from the real economy and end in policies that create investment, production and income. In this way we can build a new national contract for the primary sector and a more modern, resilient and competitive livestock sector.
EDOTOKK will continue to monitor developments in the sector and to intervene institutionally in the public debate, aiming at a more viable, modern and competitive primary sector.
About EDOTOKK
EDOTOKK (National Interprofessional Organization for Meat and the Livestock Sector) institutionally represents all links in the production and commercial chain of meat, sheep, goat and beef, and of livestock farming in Greece — from the livestock farmer to the butcher shop. Its aim is to promote quality, safety, animal welfare and traceability, and to strengthen the viability and competitiveness of the sector’s businesses, through an active contribution to policy-making at national and European level. The President of EDOTOKK is Athanasios Kasidis.
Contact Details
EDOTOKK
EMAS 0903006
Email: edotokk@edotokk.gr
www.edotokk.gr