Lesbos: Rally over foot-and-mouth disease – What farmers are demanding

Today, Thursday (16/04), the protests of livestock farmers in Lesbos are reaching their peak. They are protesting what they describe as suffocating measures that have been put into effect following the detection of cases of foot-and-mouth disease in animals on the island.

According to the website StoNisi, the Coordinating Committee, which was formed on Wednesday (15/04) in Kalloni and includes cooperatives, local government officials, and professionals connected to livestock farming, is demanding better communication with the leadership of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, so that solutions can be implemented based on the demands they have put forward.

Members of the committee made it clear that today no trucks will be unloaded from the ships arriving at the passenger and commercial port of Mytilene. Passenger boarding and disembarkation will take place without disruption.

After the General Assembly held in Kalloni, attended by representatives of livestock farmers, cooperatives, and cheesemakers, the committee decided to hold a pan-Lesvos rally, with the main goal of addressing the consequences of foot-and-mouth disease, and in particular the management of available milk.

In this context, a call is being made to all citizens of Lesbos, as well as professional associations, to participate in the gathering that will take place today, Thursday 16 April.

The mobilization will begin at 11 a.m. outside the headquarters of the North Aegean Region and will end at the General Secretariat for Aegean and Island Policy.

A special invitation is addressed to the MPs of the Lesbos regional unit, the Governor of the North Aegean, the island’s mayors, the Veterinary Directorate, the Director of the Decentralized Administration of the North Aegean, as well as officials from the Forestry and Environmental Departments, in order to ensure a coordinated presence and intervention to resolve the critical issues.

The framework of the demands

The committee prioritizes immediate communication with senior government officials, specifically the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Ministry of Finance, either via teleconference or through an in-person meeting in Athens or Mytilene.

At the same time, they are calling for the immediate lifting of restrictions on the export of matured dairy products, based on the European regulatory framework, as well as the issuance of the necessary ministerial decisions that will define how the March 2026 legislative act is implemented.

Particular emphasis is also placed on the issue of compensation for milk collection by private entities, agricultural cooperatives, and dairy units, with provision for retroactive effect from 1/4/2026.

The demands also include the immediate reopening of slaughterhouses that meet the biosecurity standards set by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, as well as compensation for animals that remain unsold.

The committee stresses that the mobilization must take place with full adherence to biosecurity measures, noting that despite strong frustration, the protection of production and public health remains a priority.

In conclusion, the committee emphasizes that the struggle is shared by all residents of Lesbos and calls for unity and mass participation, underlining that not a single drop of milk should be wasted and that only through coordinated action can a meaningful result be achieved.

The president of the Stypsi Cooperative, Ignatis Manavis, told “N” that if the demands are not met, the protests will escalate further.

He stated: “If our demands are not satisfied, the ports will be completely shut down; we will not back down until we are vindicated. We do not want to harm anyone, but we demand that our products be allowed to leave the island with the necessary biosecurity measures.”

On his part, the general secretary of the Federation of Agricultural Associations of Lesbos, Stratis Kombos, stressed that “livestock farming is being suffocated, and this situation will drag the entire island down. The government must urgently provide solutions in order to defuse the public anger and frustration.”