Potato initiative irks communist party

As a grassroots initiative by producers to sell potatoes directly to consumers without the involvement of wholesalers gains ground, the campaign has faced the unlikely opposition of the Communist Party (KKE).

KKE, which over the weekend slammed the movement as “an unethical propaganda campaign aimed at duping people and misleading small, poor farmers,” sought to temper its stance on Monday. In a statement, the party accused the media of trying to undermine its position on the matter by suggesting that KKE was supporting middlemen and opposing farmers.

It added, however, that movements such as the cheap potato initiative have limited prospects and “would not solve the problems of the exploitation of farmers or of rising poverty and hunger.”

The movement, launched in the northern town of Nevrokopi by a sole producer, has spread across northern Greece and has been adopted by the Athens municipalities of Vyronas, Ilioupoli and Zografou.

Ekathimerini.com