Stavros Arachovitis

Greece is determined to protect its signature brands of products, Minister of Agricultural Development and Food, Stavros Arachovitis told Xinhua in a recent interview after the country's latest victory over the Czech Republic on the spat of "Greek yogurt" labeling.

Unionists representing farmers in Nikaia, central Greece, are preparing to set up a two-hour roadblock on the national highway linking Athens and Thessaloniki at the Platykambos junction, following a meeting on Monday.

The highway will be closed from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.

The Agricultural Development Ministry said on Monday night it was keeping lines of communication open with unionists representing farmers in Nikaia, central Greece, who were meeting to discuss whether to scale up their protest action.

Farmers have set up 23 roadblocks around Greece over the last two weeks, demanding tax breaks and lower production costs.

Farmers in central Greece plan to drive their tractors around downtown Larissa on Friday, after blocking a stretch of the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway for a fourth day on Thursday and rejecting a call to talks from the government.

Farmers in central Greece parked their tractors on the shoulder of the E65 Highway near Karditsa and hit the streets in Larissa and Farsala, on Monday, in protest at rising production costs and overheads.

Farmers in the central Greek region of Thessaly will be driving their tractors out into the streets of Larissa, Farsala and Highway E65 near Karditsa on Monday, kicking off what has become a customary few weeks of strikes around this time of year.