Farmers line up tractors along Egnatia Highway

Farmers and livestock breeders from northern Greece’s Imathia region parked their tractors near the Kouloura junction on Egnatia Highway over the weekend in protest at government plans to change their tax status, as mandated by the country’s third international bailout program.

Protesters, who are scheduled to hold talks today with Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Vangelis Apostolou, expected to be joined by more farmers from across the country but refrained from blocking traffic with their tractors.

Speaking about the upcoming bill on agricultural development, the deputy regional governor of Pella, Theodoros Theodoridis, expressed his solidarity with the protesters. “We are asking that the measures and regulations be growth- not tax-oriented,” he said.