Grevena to be Greece's first 'organic' prefecture

[Ellinas]

The government envisions converting Grevena into Greece's first "organic" prefecture, development minister Christos Folias said Saturday, addressing the opening session of the two-day 1st International Symposium on the theme "Creating the Future with Social Responsibility", adding that the initiatives and interventions of recent years were already yielding tangible and measurable results for the region.

Already, 15 percent of the arrable land in Grevena was producing organic produce, making it the top such producer in Greece, in which the average was 2 percent, Folias said, noting that Grevena was also among the top "organic" producers at European level, too.

"The wager to render Grevena the greenest prefecture in Greece will definitely be won," Folias said, and called on all the local residents and leaders to help achieve that goal.

In recent years, he continued, a total of 428 projects with an overall budget of 605 million euro were "unfolding" in Grevena, laying the groundwork for "achieving much more in the wider area".

He said that, under the development ministry's Operational Programme "Competitiveness", 44 projects budgeted at 14.5 million euro were underway in Grevena in the sectors of tourism, commerce, processing-manufacturing and personnel training, with 250 business concerns receiving subsidies for investment plans estimated at more than 100 million euro.

Referring to the 100 million euro development plan for Northern and Central Pindos, he said the project was proceeding at a rapid pace and in a spirit of cooperation and solidairyt along four axes, which concern improvement of the fundamental infrastructures and quality of life, strengthening of the productive environment, projection and utilisation of the natural and cultural heritage, and upgrading the human dynamic.

Folias explained that the government endorsed "entrepreneurship with a social face and partnership responsibility", noting that among the top priorities was investment in organic farming and stockbreeding. He also noted that the government backed private initiatives, which he called "the DNA of the Greeks".

ANA