At the company “Poriazis Family – Lemnos,” we invest in and believe in building interpersonal professional relationships based on mutual honesty, trust, and effort towards a common vision — the revival of Lemnos as a grain producer. Through our years of cooperation with farmers on the island, we have established healthy relationships of which we are proud. One of these is our partnership with Mr. Kostas Tsouvalas, a farmer from Atsiki village. Three days ago, during the renewal of our cooperation for the upcoming year, we had the opportunity to recall some details about him that are worth sharing with you.
How many years have you been involved in grain cultivation?
“I have been in the cultivation and production field for over 25 years. I’ve spent a lot of time, effort, and money over the years. Experience and knowledge are gained only through such dedication.
What varieties of grains do you cultivate?
“I have tried many seeds, both local and those from other parts of Greece as well as abroad. In recent years, I have been growing wheat varieties ‘Lemnos’ and ‘Simeto,’ and barley of local varieties ‘Panagia’ and ‘Demetra.'”
How many acres do you cultivate?
“The truth is that the acres I cultivate increase year by year. This year, I am cultivating around 300 acres, which are located in the wider Atsiki area.”
How many years have you been practicing contract farming with Poriazi Family?
“This year, we are entering the seventh year of our important and healthy collaboration with the Poriazi brothers.”
Why do you continue this cooperation?
“There are many reasons why you don’t stop a cooperation that not only has no problems but also has many positives. First, we are sure that they will provide us with the best seeds, as they are known for caring about the quality of the crops they collect. Moreover, since they are also farmers, we plan and schedule how the entire cultivation process will unfold, from planting to harvesting the grains. Another very important factor is that, starting this year, we know that whatever we harvest next year will be sold at a very good price by market standards. This, of course, reduces our stress.”
What difficulties do you think modern farmers face on an island like ours?
“The difficulties that anyone involved in the primary sector faces are many, especially since they deal with unpredictable weather, which is an unstable factor. Beyond that, if the farmer has secured where he will sell his product and at what price, he also has to deal with how to reduce the costs that arise during the cultivation process. These are primarily fuel costs, which on the islands are more expensive than on the mainland, as well as the transportation of machinery or auxiliary materials, which also incurs additional costs.”
Would you advise any young person to get involved in grain cultivation?
“If they love it, of course, they should! I myself left three times as a young person to work abroad and returned determined and sure that I love what I will do. Furthermore, Lemnos used to be the granary of the Aegean, with production so large that it could cover the needs of such a large area. Let us continue the effort that has been made in recent years to cultivate not just most of the island’s land with grains, but also local varieties both on the island and abroad.”
What difficulties do you think modern farmers face on an island like ours?
“The difficulties that anyone involved in the primary sector faces are many, especially since they deal with unpredictable weather, which is an unstable factor. Beyond that, if the farmer has secured where he will sell his product and at what price, he also has to deal with how to reduce the costs that arise during the cultivation process. These are primarily fuel costs, which on the islands are more expensive than on the mainland, as well as the transportation of machinery or auxiliary materials, which also incurs additional costs.”
