Farmer Chris Freeman warned that the reduction in the number of producers could, in his estimation, lead to a food crisis and high prices in the coming years. Citing data from ELSTAT and Eurostat, he mentioned that in Greece, only 7.2% of agricultural farm managers were under 40 years old, while almost 65% were over 55 and 37.1% were over 65. For Europe, he said that the percentage of farmers under 40 was 10.7% and the average age was 57 years. Freeman claimed that 300,000 farms were lost in 15 years and that 75,000 farmers abandoned their work in just the last year. He added that costs for fertilizers, oil, and animal feed had increased by 100%, while the real value of production had decreased by 25.5% in 2023, to the lowest recorded level. He estimated that in the coming years, 200,000 farmers over 65 would need to be replaced, along with another 150,000 aged 55-64, but there would be no young people to take over the farms. He warned that fields might remain uncultivated and that Greece might depend on imports, which he linked to Mercosur and described as triple the price. He called on consumers to prefer products from local producers, even when they cost the same, and asked if there were any young farmers in their villages. #αγροτικήανάπτυξη #διατροφικήκρίση #στηρίξτετονπαραγωγό (translated)
