Lesvos counts millions in damages due to foot-and-mouth disease: port blocked, cheese factories shut down, cancellations also in tourism

The emergence of foot-and-mouth illness successful sheep and goats has escalated into a large situation for the section system of Lesvos, arsenic it present affects not lone the superior assemblage but besides tourism. Earlier today, 3 days of protests culminated successful a rally successful Mytilene.

Local businesses remained closed, the larboard is nether partial blockade, portion astatine slightest until adjacent Wednesday ferry routes from Turkey person been cancelled, successful a play erstwhile Lesvos traditionally benefits from tourer flows from the neighbouring country.

All eyes are present connected the gathering scheduled for time astatine 12 noon astatine the Ministry of Rural Development, convened by Minister Margaritis Schinas, with the information of livestock farmers, cheesemakers, municipal representatives, and officials from the North Aegean Region.

Lesvos counts millions successful damages owed to foot-and-mouth disease: larboard blocked, food factories unopen down, cancellations besides successful tourism

Lesvos is already signaling incalculable losses, arsenic the Easter marketplace has been lost, portion the restrictive measures successful spot since March 14 person resulted successful not a azygous kilogram of food leaving the island. More than 75,000 sheep and goats that were expected to participate the Easter marketplace successful Athens and Thessaloniki person remained successful the barns. Producers who expected income from nutrient received not adjacent a azygous euro and are alternatively paying for carnal feed. In addition, since Holy Thursday, food factories person stopped receiving milk, arsenic they nary longer person retention capableness for cheeses, with everything produced implicit the past 32 days remaining successful storage.

More than 25 tanker trucks are present filled with beverage that cannot beryllium distributed anywhere. According to the Governor of the North Aegean, Kostas Moutzouris, speaking to protothema.gr, preliminary estimates spot the harm to the section economy—from milk, unsold livestock, and unsold cheese—at implicit €30 million, and the fig continues to turn arsenic the occupation remains unresolved.

The portion is already preparing a beverage dehydration installation to trim measurement and alteration storage, though adjacent this solution requires time; backing volition travel from the determination authority.

“The harm is enormous, we fearfulness semipermanent consequences”

“Since Holy Thursday each food factories person been closed. We had been promised an €8 cardinal money for milk, but done the de minimis mechanism, which imposes restrictions, we bash not cognize whether compensation volition beryllium sufficient,” says the president of Lesvos cheesemakers, Ignatios Thymelis, speaking to protothema.gr.

As helium stresses, astatine tomorrow’s gathering they volition petition the reopening of the larboard truthful that mature cheeses tin beryllium transported for retention successful Attica, but supra each they privation cheeses already produced up to the extremity of 2025 to beryllium allowed to participate the marketplace normally. “The harm is tremendous and we fearfulness the concern volition person lasting consequences. Orders are being cancelled, the Easter marketplace is lost, but supra each customers are lost. Once they could not root food from Lesvos, they turned elsewhere. Will they travel backmost to us, oregon volition immoderate of them enactment with their caller suppliers? Certainly, if not all, immoderate volition not return.”

He notes that during the archetypal question of the disease, preventive measures specified arsenic spraying and disinfection had been implemented, but these stopped erstwhile the outbreak successful mainland Greece was considered nether control.

Tourism’s collateral damage

The Governor of the North Aegean, Kostas Moutzouris, says the main request of section stakeholders astatine tomorrow’s gathering astatine the Ministry of Rural Development is the reopening of the larboard truthful that mature cheeses tin beryllium transported, easing unit connected food accumulation facilities and allowing beverage to beryllium absorbed.

He notes that 70% of Lesvos’ section system is linked to livestock farming, adding that determination are present “collateral damages” affecting tourism arsenic well.

Until Wednesday the 22nd, ferry routes from Turkey are being cancelled, a improvement causing a concatenation absorption successful the section market. According to tourism cause Aris Lazaris, speaking to stonisi.gr, astir 1,500 arrivals from Turkey had been scheduled conscionable for Friday and Saturday, each of which are present cancelled, portion determination is besides uncertainty astir the pursuing weekend, erstwhile the Taxiarchis festival takes place.

He expresses interest astir the concern forming, noting knowing and enactment for livestock farmers’ demands, but stressing that closing the larboard does not pb to a solution and alternatively adds further load to the island. As helium points out, the harm to the superior assemblage combined with the nonaccomplishment of tourism gross creates a treble stroke for Lesvos.

It is recalled that livestock farmers successful Lesvos person been blocking the larboard of Mytilene for 3 consecutive days. On Thursday morning, a 2nd ferry arrived connected the route, with boarding taking spot nether restrictions already successful unit successful caller days.

Specifically, lone passengers and backstage cars are allowed to board, portion trucks and dense lorries stay prohibited. So far, according to Kostas Moutzouris speaking to protothema.gr, determination are nary proviso issues with goods and user products connected the island.