Farmers yesterday called on consumers to be skeptical about the quality of cheaper meat being sold at some supermarkets in the countdown to Orthodox Easter Sunday’s traditional lamb-roasting fest and complained that aggressive competition by stores was putting their livelihoods at risk.

“The year before last, I sold my goats for 7.5 euros per kilo, last year for 6.5 euros per kilo and now I’m getting 5 euros per kilo when my production costs have risen 100 percent,” said Michalis Tziotzios, the president of a union representing farmers in Larissa.

Even some butchers have taken to buying their meat from stores selling lamb and goat at 6 euros per kilo, the maximum price set by the government a decade ago.

Farmers, who had been protesting over low prices at stores, have suggested they will take action against a particular chain of stores.

Another practice creating problems for producers are imports of meat from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Turkey which are passed off as Greek produce.