GREECE: Thousands flock to Athens stadium to buy cheap olive oil as the Greek potato farmers' initiative to cut out middlemen and sell straight to consumers grows to include olive oil producers

Record ID: 344147

  • Title: GREECE: Thousands flock to Athens stadium to buy cheap olive oil as the Greek potato farmers' initiative to cut out middlemen and sell straight to consumers grows to include olive oil producers
  • Date: 18th March 2012
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (MARCH 17 2012) (REUTERS) VIEW OF TRUCK FILLED WITH 25 TONNES OF OLIVE OIL PRODUCERS UNLOADING CARTONS OF OLIVE OIL FROM TRUCK VARIOUS OF DOZENS OF PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE TRUCK, SOME WITH SHOPPING TROLLEYS AND ONE WHEELBARROW (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) CIVIL SERVANT MARIA MOURATIDOU, 54, SAYING: "There is no money, so everybody is looking to see how they can save some money. It's a great initiative on behalf of the municipality. What happened was that the municipality announced this initiative, and those who wanted participated, we ordered the produce and it came today." VARIOUS OF MAN PAYING FOR HIS OLIVE OIL ORDER (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PENSIONER DIMITRIOS NAKOS, 67, SAYING: "We came here because we are hungry; there is hunger and things are going to get worse." VARIOUS OF WOMAN PUSHING WHEELBARROW WITH BOX OF OLIVE OIL TO THE POTATO TRUCK PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE POTATO TRUCK FILLED WITH 75 TONNES OF POTATOES (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PENSIONER VIRGINIA, 64, SAYING: "I bought both potatoes and olive oil. The prices are really great, and I was helped out very quickly." MAN TAKING SACK OF POTATOES FROM TRUCK AND LEAVING VARIOUS PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE POTATO TRUCK BANNER ON TRUCK READING: "POTATOES FROM NEVROKOPI WITHOUT MIDDLEMEN" (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) MAYOR OF NEA IONIA (ATHENS SUBURB) IRAKLIS YIOTSIS SAYING: "Along with other municipalities we have started this initiative and we hope to make this action permanent so that we can offer our citizens cheaper products and also help the producers, by cutting out the middlemen. The participation was very high as you can see. It's our first time doing this, we had some organizational glitches, but we had over 3,000 orders placed." VARIOUS OF MAN LEAVING MARKET AND PUSHING A MOPED LOADED WITH SACKS OF POTATOES
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece, Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Business,Economy,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAC8A8W9VR2O06EG5BN60SZNMWM
  • Story Text: Farmers from the Peloponnese Peninsula sold 25 tonnes of olive oil straight to citizens on Saturday (March 17) at less than half the regular price sold in supermarkets, as part of the move to get people spending and increase competition in the midst of the crisis.
    The farmers' initiative sought to bypass distributors who raise the price for the product to levels that are unaffordable for some consumers.
    "There is no money, so everybody is looking to see how they can save some money. It's a great initiative on behalf of the municipality. What happened was that the municipality announced this initiative, and those who wanted participated, we ordered the produce and it came today," said 54-year-old civil servant Maria Mouratidou.
    The farmers, from the region of Lakonia on the Peloponnese Peninsula, sold the oil outside a stadium in an Athens suburb.
    "We came here because we are hungry; there is hunger and things are going to get worse," said pensioner Dimitrios Nakos.
    The olive oil producers were joined by potato farmers, who have spearheaded the enterprise across the country and arrived with three trucks filled with 75 tonnes of potatoes.
    A litre of olive oil went for three euros and one kilo of potatoes for just 28 cents, both more than half the price in the supermarkets.
    "I bought both potatoes and olive oil. The prices are really great, and I was helped out very quickly," said 64-year-old pensioner Virginia.
    Greek music blared from loudspeakers, giving the improvised market a festive atmosphere as people carted wheelbarrows, mopeds and shopping trolleys loaded with oil and potatoes back to their homes.
    The mayor of Nea Ionia said that over 3,000 orders were placed by residents, and that the municipality planned to continue supporting the farmers' initiative and to expand the variety of produce for sale.
    "Along with other municipalities we have started this initiative and we hope to make this action permanent so that we can offer our citizens cheaper products and also help the producers, by cutting out the middlemen. The participation was very high as you can see. It's our first time doing this, we had some organizational glitches, but we had over 3,000 orders placed," said mayor Iraklis Yiotsis.
    The farmers' initiative came after potato farmers last months began a campaign to sell their produce straight to the consumer and cutting out distributors, allowing them to cut the price significantly but at the same time make a profit. The move became hugely popular and other farmers have joined in, taking their products in trucks from city to city and selling them in town squares.
    The initiative of cutting out the middleman is significant for the country in the midst of the debt crisis where spending has plummeted due to economic austerity that has deepened a recession and forced consumers to keep a tight lid on their wallets. It also increases competitiveness in the country, an element of the economy which is seriously lacking, as distributors are now being forced to reduce prices.
    High cost of Greek own agricultural products often make them non-compatative with foreign produce, which comes cheaper and fills the country's supermarkets.
    European Union and International Monetary Fund inspectors who have been monitoring Greece's economic reforms since the country began receiving rescue loans in 2010 have said the economy must become more competitive to improve.
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