The Greek farmers were not satisfied with the economic package help of 612 million Euros, which the Minister of Agricultural Development Sotiris Hadzigakis announced yesterday. Through that package the government gives 75 million Euros for the cotton, tobacco, and grain foods producers; 100 million Euros for the wheat, fruits, and potato producers and for the stock-breeders; 50 million Euros for the olive producers and also other urgent financial help.

These amounts were much lower than the expected from the farmers, who decided to remain on the streets with their tractors and to continue causing traffic jams. The Athens-Thessaloniki highway is blocked on at least 6 main points and the traffic on it is impossible. In the Lamia region, the old highway Athens-Thessaloniki is also blocked. Farmers from Ftiotida announced that from today they will start blocking the railways too. This way, the only connection between South and North Greece will be Patra and Rio-Antirio Bridge.

The blockage of the border points, Kulata-Promahon and Ilinden-Exohi, in North Greece is continuing. The farmers have blocked also the Alexandroupolis exit on the second biggest highway in Greece – Egnatia and from today they will move onto paralyzing the Kipi border point with Turkey. The Thessaloniki exits towards Xanti and Kavala are also closed. Many road on Crete Island are also blocked.

The stock breeders and vets from Northern Greece announced that they will organize a big protest in Thessaloniki on February 6^th. They claim that the prices, with which they have to sell their milk and meat are the same from 10 years ago. At the same time the prices of the fodder and medicines for the animals are increasing fast, just like the prices of the milk and meat in the supermarkets. The trader gain from this as well and the producers and the end customers are harmed.