Grain Committee decides to release up to 7,000 tonnes of grains

The release of up to 7,000 tonnes of grains, a quantity corresponding to 30% of strategic reserves, was decided by the Grain Advisory Committee, which met at the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday. This was announced after the end of the meeting by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Andreas Gregoriou, who chaired the meeting, adding that this quantity will be available until August 31, 2023.

"The Advisory Committee has informed the Minister of Agriculture and will proceed to issue a decree which will be published today," Gregoriou pointed out, noting that importers have an obligation to replace these stocks by the end of September and they will be checked. In addition, he clarified that the disposal of the reserves will be at a replacement price, i.e. at the current market price.

The farmers unions welcomed the decision that was taken unanimously and raised the issue of establishing an Authority for the management of strategic grain reserves, while the President of Panagrotikos said that "it is not the right time" to discuss this issue.

In his statements, Michalis Lytras, Secretary General of PEK, spoke of a "substantial and productive" meeting. He added that at the meeting he proposed the establishment of an Authority for the management of strategic grain reserves, which, as he indicated, "are of particular importance in periods of crisis, when there is a problem with the sufficiency of grain."

On his part, Panikos Hambas, Secretary General of EKA, underlined that "the strategic reserves must be kept by an organisation that has a direct relationship with the state or the Cooperative in order for the control to be more effective".

Kyriakos Kailas, President of Panagrotikos, thanked the President of the Committee and the Government "for this decision which is essential." "I think it is not the right time to discuss the issue of changing the strategy in maintaining reserves," he indicated.