Due to the financial crisis in Greece, in recent years it has become particularly difficult for farmers to finance their crops. For this reason, Thrakika Ekkokkistiria S.A. aims to help farmers participating in the Cotton+ program so that they will be able to carry out the cotton harvest and fulfill their financial obligations.
There are two ways that financial assistance can be offered:
- Through contract financing with Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank. The farmers sign a contract with the company for the delivery of their cotton, they then receive a card from the bank with which they can buy seeds, farming supplies, fuel, farming tools, pay their electricity bill, etc. When they deliver their cotton to the ginning mill, the company will then pay back the bank (with a particularly low interest rate).
- With company checks, in collaboration with companies supplying seeds and farming supplies, especially with local farming supply shops. In this way, it's not the company selling the supplies, but giving farmers a choice to select their preferred supplies having the shops act as consultants. There is transparency in regard to prices as well as supply quantities.