Greece delays payments to Young Farmers program, leaving thousands in limbo

Thousands of young Greek farmers are still awaiting payments from the state’s Young Farmers programme. Recipients of the 2021 call have received only 70 % of their subsidies, with the remaining 30 % still unpaid, while applicants under the 2024 call have not been given a clear schedule for evaluation or disbursement.

The delays are hampering cash flow, stalling investments and prompting concerns that many will abandon farming. Officials cite technical checks on land registries, pending OSDE clearances and lengthy individual file assessments as causes of the slowdown. The issue is widespread, affecting regions such as Central Greece, Thessalia, the Peloponnese and Central Macedonia, and comes at a time when most farm owners are over 55 years old and a renewal of the agricultural workforce is urgently needed.