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5 clusters · 11 sources · 20 days · First seen · Last updated

Thessaly livestock breeders protest government inaction

Overview

The Federation of Livestock Breeders and Livestock Associations of Thessaly has expressed intense frustration and outrage toward the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food regarding unaddressed crises in the livestock sector. Breeders have highlighted the ongoing threat of various animal diseases, including goat and sheep plague, foot-and-mouth disease, scrapie, and African Swine Fever in Lesvos. They claim that despite submitting numerous proposals, political leadership has failed to act to protect herds. In addition to disease management, the federation is demanding a concrete timeline for herd reconstruction following significant losses of livestock and income. They also criticized the government for failing to fulfill a commitment made by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding animal feed subsidies for 2026. Conflict has escalated as producers in Agrinio and Pyrgos stage protests against a new serological testing program intended to monitor sheep contagious plague. The Ministry’s plan involves testing 153 holdings per region across nine mainland provinces through late 2026, utilizing clinical examinations and blood sampling. Farmers fear these inspections could lead to further animal deaths and increased economic instability. In Thessaly’s Magnesia region, the disease has already resulted in nearly 38,784 sheep deaths across 195 farms. The crisis has intensified significantly, with reports indicating that between August 2024 and September 9, 2026, approximately 496,000 animals died across 2,271 recorded outbreaks of sheep and goat plague (SGP). To address this, the Ministry has initiated a serological surveillance program involving blood testing at 153 holdings per region to determine if the virus is circulating undetected or if unauthorized vaccines have been used. The Geotechnical Chamber of Greece (GETE) has raised alarms regarding the worsening epidemiological situation and the potential for international restrictions on Greek dairy exports, including protected designation of origin (PDO) products like feta cheese. Political opposition has also entered the fray.

Entities

Ministry of Rural Development and Food · Geotechnical Chamber of Greece · Thessaly · Federation of Livestock Breeders and Livestock Associations of Thessaly · Agrinio

Timeline

  1. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Greece livestock crisis: Nearly 500,000 animals killed by plague

    Greece reports nearly 500,000 livestock deaths due to sheep and goat plague since August 2024, prompting new serological surveillance and fears of restrictions on feta cheese exports.

  2. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Greek agriculture faces fertilizer costs and livestock disease

    Greek agriculture faces dual crises: rising fertilizer costs threatening durum wheat production and a massive disease outbreak that has killed nearly 500,000 sheep and goats.

  3. [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    Greek livestock producers protest sheep disease testing program

    Greek livestock producers are protesting a government serological testing program for sheep contagious plague, citing fears of increased animal mortality and economic hardship.

  4. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Thessaly livestock breeders protest government inaction on disease and subsidies

    Thessaly livestock breeders are protesting government inaction regarding zoonotic diseases and the failure to implement herd reconstruction plans and promised feed subsidies.

  5. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Thessaly livestock breeders protest Ministry inaction

    Thessaly livestock breeders are protesting against the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, citing delays in disease control, herd reconstruction, and unfulfilled government commitments.

Sources

agroekfrasi.gr · agronews.gr · dimokratia.gr · ifarsala.gr · iskra.gr · larisanew.gr · larissanet.gr · ot.gr · thebest.gr · thefaq.gr · ypaithros.gr

This summary has been updated 4 times: see revision history