INTERVIEW George Georgantas

George Georgantas

Minister of Rural Development and Food

«We are on alert, monitoring developments and adjusting our decisions»

INTERVIEW: Panos Katsachnias PHOTOGRAPHS: Maria Stavrianou

Ιn the midst of an objectively difficult period due to inflation, high prices and the food security risk posed by the war in Ukraine, the Minister of Rural Development and Food (YPAAT), George Georgantas spoke to MEAT PLACE giving an all-encompassing interview responding to our request to provide answers, both to the many and serious issues that arose just 15 days after he took office, and to chronic issues of the sector, which he inherited by assuming this specific ministerial post. MEAT PLACE | You took over the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and fifteen days later the war broke out in Ukraine with all its consequences for the food industry, prices, food security of the country. How did you deal with it? George Georgantas | The first thing I did was to implement decisions concerning the reduction of production costs, anticipating that the problem would escalate. In fact, the first decision I signed as a minister is the payment of 50 million euros to our farmers, as a refund for the adjustment clause. At

the same time, I enhanced and re-established the Food Safety Committee.

We are on alert, monitoring developments and adjusting our decisions.

MEAT PLACE | Have the goals set by the Greek government been achieved during the negotiations of the EU Council of Agriculture and Fishery Ministers on March 21st? George Georgantas | Our goal, initially, was for the European Commission to implement measures to support producers and reduce production costs.

We fought, along with other countries - mainly in the South - to use the Crisis Reserve Fund once again, in a similar way to that of the pandemic. We succeeded. From this, European farmers will receive 500 million euros in the first phase. Out of these, 26 million euros amount in our country, while countries of similar size and potential received half of this amount. MEAT PLACE | What is included in the “toolbox” for receiving additional measures? George Georgantas | In essence, the toolbox offers EU Member States the opportunity to support producers through state aid, without disciplinary consequences. Still, limits are set. For example, regarding the 26 million euros that I mentioned above - which correspond to our country from the Crisis Fund of 500 million euros – we are given the opportunity to increase them up to 200%. However, as you understand, this will be done according to the budgetary capabilities of each country, but not above this set limit. It is also possible to reduce VAT on food. These are, however, measures that will be utilized by each Member State, depending on the budgetary possibilities, the margin and the financial strength they have and of course depending on the producers’ needs and the situation that is formed in the market.

crisis, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food has set all its services and all its mechanisms on alert. Both the Commission and the market actors assure that there is no food risk for our country. There is an adequacy of goods. The issue lies in having availability and to “nip” possible speculative games and creation of artificial shortages in their bud. We prevent any such speculation attempt with the provision we voted for, and which is already applied to record food stocks. At the same time, we made a number of other moves, facilitating bureaucratically the opening of alternative markets, in order to accelerate imports and ensure the adequacy of goods in the market. Be aware, however, that this is a process that evolves according to the course of the crisis, which the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the government in general monitor and adjust their policy, constantly taking measures in a specific «Both the direction: Reducing production Commission and the costs and ensuring the adequacy market actors assure of goods in the market. that there is no food MEAT PLACE | What measures risk for our country. are envisaged in your declared There is an adequacy of goods» effort to reduce costs and livestock farming production? George Georgantas | The government has been taking steps since autumn to mitigate the effects of the energy crisis. Measures in excess of 200 million euros, for farmers alone, have already been taken, in addition to the 4 billion euros announced by the government for the general population, which includes farmers as well. In particular, regarding energy, we must remember that the government has largely covered the power adjustment clause, while we have taken measures to use RES in the Primary sector. Let me also remind you that we have reduced VAT on fertilizers and animal feed from 13% to 6%. In terms of animal feed, we subsidize them with an additional 47 million based on last year’s turnover.

MEAT PLACE | Apart from the recent reactivation of the “Food Security Committee” due to the situation in Ukraine, what other actions has the ministry taken? George Georgantas | From the first moment of the MEAT PLACE | As a country that imports 80% of the meat we consume, do recent developments affect the smooth flow of its imports? George Georgantas | When a country is that dependent on imports, the market is definitely affected. With the decisions we make, we ensure

Panos Katsachnias talks with George Georgantas, Minister of Rural Development and Food

that the flow of imports is smooth. What I can assure you is that we make every effort to ensure adequacy in meat as well, not only in view of Easter, but in general.

MEAT PLACE | Is there a need to find alternative sources, such as in animal feed? George Georgantas | We are evidently looking for alternative sources regarding the import of animal feed, as well as the issue of alternative animal feed from third party countries, is under discussion.

MEAT PLACE | Have the measures taken by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food in recent years, to deal with illegal “Hellenizations” in terms of meat, provided satisfactory results? George Georgantas | The inspections paid off and this was also seen in the price of sheep’s milk, which increased for the producer by up to 50%. We have to protect Greek products, Greek producers and of course Greek consumers, who need to know what they buy and what they consume.

MEAT PLACE | There is still no Greek product -in terms of meat and its products- certified as PDO, PGI or TSG. Are there any initiatives in this direction? George Georgantas | Our country already has 113 PDO and PGI products, enough in relation to the size of its production. And we are awaiting the certification of more, for which the process started a long time ago. In any case, the promotion and integration of our products in the special categories of PDO, PGI, TSG, should be favored given that our agricultural production is

based on the promotion of our products’ quality and -in many cases- uniqueness.

MEAT PLACE | Why has the certification of “GYROS” as PGI not finally progressed? George Georgantas | The final request of the Association of Greek Meat Processing Industries (SEVEK) was submitted for the registration of the name “GYROS” as a Traditional Specific Guaranteed Product (TSG) in the Register of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), on December 6th, 2018. As is well known, various bodies made objections regarding this request, which were rejected.

Subsequently, following consultations with the National Interprofessional Meat Organization (EDOK), the New Federation of Pig Livestock Farming Associations of Greece (NOXSE) and SEVEK and with the ministry, it was agreed to submit an application for the registration of the name “GYROS” as PGI, and there has been collaboration with ministerial services on the information to be included in writing for a complete and substantiated request.

However, it is expected that the request will be submitted by an applicant team, which will include all that is required by law, documents and information, in order to be evaluated by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

MEAT PLACE | Are you satisfied with the quantity and quality of the inspections of the competent auditing mechanisms in meat selling companies and sites? George Georgantas | I will be satisfied when there is no need for intensive audits. That is, when

the companies themselves are so responsible to consumers, that intensive audits are not necessary.

MEAT PLACE | Will you implement the coordination of quality audits by a state authority? George Georgantas | The services that carry out audits (ELGO-DIMITRA and EFET along with the competent services of the Regions) collaborate with each other, since the goal is common: The protection of Greek products, producers, and consumers. Further enhancing the interoperability of our services is always in demand and an element that will improve the necessary speed and transparency of audits. Services need to be staffed, but this is based on the capabilities of our economy and the annual recruitment program.

MEAT PLACE | In your plans for vocational education / training, are there any provisions for optimizing the operating framework of the Meatrelated, Public and Private, Vocational Schools? George Georgantas | Every profession, no matter how traditional, needs to adapt to modern conditions and the advantages of technology. Our services evaluate and process the content of the curriculum. Matters of reducing teaching material or duration of training have not been raised. The certification examinations to obtain a certificate of practice of the profession of butcher / slaughterhouse worker are conducted by the Meat Profession Schools of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, as well as the public or private schools recognized by it.

Therefore, they are essentially under the responsibility of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, and no cases of bad practices have been reported so far.

In addition, for the modernization of the system, our competent service is already elaborating, in collaboration with the IT Department of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the development of an electronic database (Register) that concerns, in the first phase, the registration of all graduates’ TEC, from public or private schools recognized by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the digital issuance of a certificate of practice of the profession of butcher / slaughterhouse worker, and in the second phase the creation of a digital examination subject bank.

MEAT PLACE | The declared goal of the government is to boost Primary production and increase the income of producers. In a difficult time for the Greek economy, do you think that such a thing is really possible and how can it be implemented today? George Georgantas | In recent years we have been experiencing successive crises. Health, climate, energy crisis and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine, affect market conditions and production. Yet, all these crises have highlighted the value of the food sector in modern society.

Our goal is to bring as many young people to the field as possible. To cultivate the Greek land, which has provided for the Greeks for thousands of years. The Ministry of Rural Development and Food offers incentives. And I am not referring only to the over-than-double budget of the Young Farmers program, but also to the financial possibilities offered by the Improvement Plans, as well as through the Guarantee Fund of 480 million euros. Farmers have now evolved into modern professionals and for the modern farmer the business opportunities that are presented are important, as long as they possess the knowledge to utilize them. The Ministry of Rural Development and Food also supports the farmers’ education. With the public IEKs that it operates, and with our goal to expand them in other areas as well, we intend to equip our producers, in order to acquire the skills to face the challenges of the new era, but also to utilize its achievements and the possibilities provided by modern technology.

In the immediate future and in order to deal with the current crisis, we are activating the possibilities given by the EU for the cultivation of areas that have been declared fallow or greening, without the producers losing the advantages that they have already secured. Our country produces goods of exceptional quality, which the markets have begun to recognize and appreciate accordingly. The prospects for our agri-food products are great, as evidenced by the fact that both in 2020 and 2021, the balance was in surplus by about half a billion each year.

MEAT PLACE | Do Greek meat and its products have such advantages that they can successfully stand across the international competition and consequently in the foreign markets?

George Georgantas | Sheep and goat livestock farming plays an important role in our national economy. It provides income and work to thousands of families, participates in the development of the Region, and contributes to the preservation of the social networking, especially in the mountainous and disadvantaged, as well as in the island regions of the country.

In Greece, the structure of sheep and goat livestock farming is constructed on small, family-run farms. 82% of farms are located in disadvantaged areas and are mainly mixed.

Highland sheep and goat livestock farming, and dairy production are the heavy artillery of the local economy, because a large part of the population makes a living from it and the produced goods have something special in taste and quality.

Shepherd sheep and goat livestock farming is the backbone of the animal population.

The favorable soil-climatic conditions that prevail in our country, the abundance of natural resources guarantee the production of high nutritional value products that attract the consumer.

The quality characteristics of the meat from “Lamb and Kid”, make the need to implement a standard for the production of lamb and goat meat by delimiting each area, imperative. A prerequisite for the establishment of this standard is the organization of the producers (Group of producers) and the animals to be registered in the genealogical books of breed by the Centers for Genetic Improvement based on the phenotypic characteristics. The intensive system has been applied for the last 20-30 years in lowland areas, mainly near cities. It is predominantly implemented by young livestock breeders with business activity. The facilities are usually modern or upgraded. The gross income of the mixed direction of sheep and goat farms comes 80% from the production of milk and 20% from the sale of meat. Extensive pig livestock farming is a breeding system that takes place in all or some of the productive stages and is based mainly on the use of domestic breeds and the animals living in groups within fenced outdoor areas. In Greece, a wide range of cattle breeds are bred and slaughtered, since a large number of young cattle are imported for breeding and fattening, from almost all European countries.

To date, in Greece, in contrast to the number of studies that exist in the international literature, the factors and their effect on the quality of both the carcasses produced and the domestic beef, have not been recorded. Also, the Greek cattle breeds have not been evaluated comparatively in the past, neither with other European meat-producing breeds, nor amongst themselves, in terms of the quality characteristics of the meat they produce. Therefore, the lack of sufficient data on the quality of domestically produced beef, makes it necessary to investigate the quality characteristics of both the carcasses produced and the domestic beef.

The government is prioritizing livestock farming support, and this is evident from its enhancement now during the crisis period, as well as before it occurred. It is a profession that offers professional success and business development prospects. The enhanced quality of Greek production is the reason for the growing demand from the tourism sector. M