Greek farmers protest low milk prices by handing out free dairy products

Dairy farmers across Greece are demonstrating against low prices paid for milk by handing out free yoghurt and cheese in the northern city of Thessaloniki. The symbolic protest was aimed at making consumers aware of the fact that whilst prices paid to producers have been dropping for years the cost of milk and cheese in Greek supermarkets has risen steadily making them are them some of the most expensive in in the Europe Union.

In 2006 the Greek dairy industry was engulfed in scandal when allegations of a price fixing cartel hit the headlines. The case came to light when the director of the state competition commision, Panayiotis Adamopoulos, along with two other officials were arrested and charged with demanding a 2.5 million euro bribe from the Mevgal dairy company in return for dropping a 25 million euro fine for price fixing.

Farmers are expected to continue their protests today with a blockade of major roads in the central Thessally region, effectively cutting Greece in two.