Lamb producers threaten roadblocks
Stockbreeders in northern Greece yesterday threatened to stage blockades at crucial road junctions after Easter unless the government reimburses them for the revenues they claim to have lost due to meat traders’ refusal to pay them more than 6 euros per kilo for the traditional Easter lamb. Producers had occupied slaughterhouses last Friday to protest merchants’ refusal to pay them 8 euros per kilo for lamb. Farmers claim to have been deprived of between 10,000 euros and 15,000 euros each due to the alleged operation of a meat cartel. According to stockbreeders’ associations, increased imports of foreign lamb and the high retail price of local meat mean that only 30 percent of the lamb eaten by consumers over Easter will be locally produced.
