The frost and severe weather that have hit Cyprus in recent weeks have affected several open crops, say agricultural organizations. The General Secretary of Panagrotikos, Tasos Giapanis, refers to the total destruction of open crops in statements to KYPE. They were irreparably affected, says Giannakis Gabriel, chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament and Provincial Secretary of the Union of Cypriot Farmers (EKA) of Famagusta.
The two organizations are asking for state support for farmers, while Androulla Georgiou, Director of the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment notes that in all provinces the cultivation of potatoes and other vegetables has been damaged by frost. and arboricultures have suffered considerable damage, and Department officials are monitoring the field and recording the damage.
The agricultural organizations are asking for support, by adopting simple, as they state, measures, including reduction of the Consumption Tax on fuel and a ceiling on the prices of cereals.
As Giannakis Gabriel, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament and District Secretary of EKA Famagusta, told KYPE, , in the province of Larnaca, the free province of Famagusta and other provinces of the island “.
“There was no response from the state”
Asked by KYPE, “the new Agricultural Insurance plan needs to be reviewed because it has several distortions, while it is expected to be discussed at a later stage in the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament, in order to correct the wrong ones.”
He added that “a big problem facing farmers is that of rising prices for the products they use for their crops, electricity and oil, which are considered unbearable as they can no longer cope. “We expect the state to announce support measures for farmers who are literally on the verge of closing their crops.” However, he noted that “no matter how many times farmers and agricultural organizations have complained about both price increases and their lack of state support, there has been no response.”
Asked about the increase in prices of agricultural products, Giannakis Gabriel said that “the specific increases in prices of goods such as potatoes, vegetables and fruits, are related to middlemen and not to farmers. “It is not possible for consumers to pay for the price increases of various goods, but for farmers not to be paid properly.” He recently voted, he noted, on a new Legislation on Unfair Commercial Practices, which should have already been implemented and we have the first results, adding that “we have found that the controls for this Legislation have not started yet”.
The state, he continued, “must assume its responsibilities and support farmers and farmers if it wants to continue to have a primary sector. “Some simple steps that can be taken to support farmers are the reduction of the Consumer Tax on fuel, the ceiling on grain prices and the implementation of the Law on Unfair Commercial Practices.”
“To proceed immediately and quickly to record losses”
For his part, the General Secretary of Panagrotikos, Tasos Giapanis, stated that “the frost and the extreme weather phenomena that have been observed recently in Cyprus, due to climate change, affect all provinces and all crops. “Potato crops, citrus and other open fruit trees were most affected, as the rest of the crops, including perishables and other vegetables, are in greenhouses.”
He added that “from year to year we will have more frequent such phenomena as frost, hail and intense rainfall that affect primarily and not only, open cultivation. “Farmers have incurred a great cost, starting with the purchase of plants and ending with the harvest, however, due to the recent weather conditions in Cyprus, open crops have been completely destroyed.”
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Giapanis thanked “the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture for visiting the areas affected by the frost and recording the damage. However, we demand that this process proceed immediately and quickly, while it is the sole responsibility of the official of the Ministry of Agriculture to determine what will be the affected area and what will be its area, so that any compensation can be given correctly and fairly “.
“This year has been a really difficult year in agricultural production”
For her part, Androulla Georgiou, Director of the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment said that “this year was really a difficult year in the agricultural production of Cyprus, due to the burden of climate change. “Potato cultivation has been damaged by the frost in all the provinces, as well as other vegetables and tree crops.”
He added that “the officials of the Department of Agriculture are out, monitoring on the field all the issues related to the crops and recording the damages that have suffered from the frost”.
Asked about the increase in prices for vegetables due to the damage to crops, Ms. Georgiou replied that “everyone understands that the prices of various agricultural products, fruits and vegetables have increased. However, any costs should not be shared only with our farmers. “
At the same time, he appealed to the public to visit the public markets located in all cities and in several Communities, where the products they want can be purchased at lower prices. We also urge people to prefer Cypriot products in order to help in their own way, the rural world, which in recent years is having a hard time “.
Regarding the export of agricultural products, the Director of the Department of Agriculture said that “it is normal in such a period, when there are severe weather phenomena, that farmers and companies that had commitments with foreign supermarkets, can not fulfill them to the extent they should ».
Asked about the protests of farmers who claim that they are actually working at a loss, since the production is not enough to cover their expenses, Androulla Georgiou said that “the agricultural profession is one of the most difficult, since, among other things, it is subject to in climate change and conditions. “Especially in recent years, with climate change, the pressures on the rural world are very high,” he said.
However, he continued, “the state and the government were really on the side of the rural world, both in terms of the damage they have suffered from the catastrophes of recent years and because of the coronavirus pandemic. “Plans have been drawn up, the sectors that have been significantly affected have received compensation, while the recording of damages by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture from the intense weather phenomena that have hit our island recently” continues.
