Greek farmers face severe crop losses due to extreme weather

Agricultural producers in Greece are reporting significant losses across different sectors due to consecutive extreme weather events. In Rodopi, cotton production has plummeted by approximately 44.4%, with yields dropping from an expected 450 kg per stremma to just 250 kg. Farmers attribute this decline to a combination of prolonged winter rains that hindered germination and heavy autumn storms that damaged crops and reduced their weight. The Spartakos Agricultural Association of Komotini has formally requested intervention from ELGA to conduct on-site assessments and address outstanding debts.

Simultaneously, chestnut producers in the Pelion region are facing an economic crisis. A combination of prolonged drought, which caused small fruit size, and recent heavy rainfall, which resulted in split fruit, has severely compromised the quality and marketability of the harvest. Local agricultural federations have called for a mass protest in Muresi to demand fair compensation for damages caused by these climatic conditions and to seek measures to protect the livelihoods of hundreds of families involved in the sector.