A series of inspections is starting on organic production certifications, following a surge in applications for the organic farming, livestock, and beekeeping support program.

According to sources, inspection teams made up of officials from ELGO-DIMITRA, OPEKEPE, and regional authorities will conduct nationwide checks on production that has been certified as organic.

It should be noted that Agriculture and Food Minister Kostas Tsiaras, noticing significant discrepancies in applications between different regions, ordered a freeze on payments for organic livestock farming and beekeeping. While all eligible applicants for organic farming were accepted, the minister also called for inspections in that sector.

The program was scheduled to be paid out on June 30, but based on current indications:

• Payments for organic farming will be made in the next 10 days
• Payments for organic livestock and beekeeping are expected by mid-October

Three-Tier Inspection Process

The inspections will involve three levels of verification:

1. Inspection of the 18 certification centers for the authenticity of the documents submitted with applications
2. Review of the certification process used by those centers for each production type submitted
3. On-site inspections of the production units — whether agricultural, livestock, or beekeeping

Mass Withdrawals of Applications

As a result of the payment freeze ordered by Mr. Tsiaras, many beekeepers and livestock farmers have withdrawn their applications, while many producers have ended their contracts with certification bodies — an act that automatically disqualifies them from the program, since each application must be accompanied by a valid certificate.

Major Regional Discrepancies Sparked Investigation

Ministry sources stated:

“Alarm bells rang at the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food when significant disparities between regions were observed.”

Specifically:

• No increase in the total number of hives in the country was reported, yet there was a sharp rise in “organic” hive declarations
• For example:
  • Crete declared 234,887 hives
  • The next highest, Thessaly, declared 131,773 hives
  • In the previous program, Crete had declared around 200,000 hives, though the total number of hives in Crete is approximately 450,000

This would mean over 90% of beekeeping in Crete is organic, which is clearly unrealistic.

Due to these irregularities, freezing the payments was deemed necessary until proper inspections are completed.

Voluntary Withdrawals Encouraged to Avoid Legal Trouble

The Ministry (YPAAT) expects that the several thousand withdrawals so far will continue in the coming days, as voluntary withdrawal is seen as a way to avoid financial and legal consequences.

Officials said:

“Producers who voluntarily withdraw are unlikely to face penalties. On the contrary, their good faith will likely be taken into account.”

Some participants from previous programs have also indicated willingness to:

• Return advance payments they had received
• Avoid possible retroactive inspections, as there is concern that current checks may be extended to past programs

If irregularities are found in those earlier programs, recipients may not only have to repay the funds, but also face legal consequences.

As ministry sources point out:

“Many producers are choosing voluntary withdrawal and returning the funds to prevent such outcomes.”