GREEK farmers dumped chestnuts and apples on the pavement outside an agricultural fair on Saturday, promising to escalate protests following a meeting tomorrow.

The farmers were from the Thessaly region, in central Greece, who came to the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki on buses to join their colleagues from the north who had come with their tractors on Friday.

In recent months, similar protests have swept Europe as farmers on the continent take their grievances over inflation, foreign competition and the costs of combating climate change to the streets.

“The millions of euros that the prime minister says he is giving us to cut down on production costs are a pittance,” said Kostas Tzelas, a farmers’ federation leader from Thessaly, referring to promises of support by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The prime minister “said nothing about us losing income from the (European Union’s) Common Agricultural Policy. 

“If he wants us to remain in Greece and not emigrate, he must solve our problems,” he added.

The farmers will meet tomorrow and likely decide to escalate their protests, including by blocking roads.

They have slammed the government’s proposal of a meeting with Mr Mitsotakis, calling it a photo opportunity.

Mr Tzelas said: “The last thing we care about is a meeting with the prime minister.”