The government has announced seven new agricultural priorities to be delivered by 2027 under the European Union’s common agricultural policy.
The priorities were unveiled by Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou on Thursday at an event held to mark the 20th anniversary of Cyprus’ joining of the policy, following the country’s accession to the EU in May 2004.
They form what the government is calling its “strategic plan”, with Panayiotou explaining that they had been devised “following consultation with the agricultural world”.
The first priority is a total of €3 million worth of investment in areas with an altitude of 400 metres above sea level and higher, as well as other communities covered by the mountain community development strategy.
The strategy itself had been expanded on Wednesday, with plans afoot to construct new housing and infrastructure in those areas, with the aim of making it easier for young couples to settle in these regions by providing better services, particularly health and education.
The second is a total of €500,000 worth of investments in the Tillyria area, while the third is a planned €3m worth of investment in renewable energy sources, as well as in other methods to reduce energy consumption on farms.
The fourth priority is €2m worth of investment in active crop protection systems, with an emphasis on anti-hail and anti-rain protection.
The fifth is a €500,000 grant for the purchase of artificial lactation devices for goats and sheep, which will speed up and make more efficient the milking process.
The sixth priority is the purchase of €500,000 worth of agricultural nets for farms in mountainous areas for the safe production of vegetables, while the seventh and final priority is a €500,000 investment to promote the implementation of smart irrigation systems.
The promotion of smart irrigation systems comes at a vital point for Cyprus, with the island currently experiencing its 10th worst year of rainfall since 1900.
Panayiotou had said on Wednesday that the country is “experiencing an extended period of drought”, and thus promised a wave of measures to alleviate the issue, with the promotion of smart irrigation systems one of a number of such measures.
Others include the exploitation of boreholes, the treatment of salty water by installing five water treatment systems, and the installation of small seawater treatment plants.
In addition, a public campaign will be rolled out with the aim of better educating the public to reduce water consumption.
Evaluating Cyprus’ 20 years of being a part of the common agricultural policy on Thursday, Panayiotou said the policy has allowed for a total of €1.8 billion worth of investment to be made in Cypriot agriculture.
“We still have a long way to go, but we are here with new plans to continue supporting our farmers,” she said.
She said the seven priorities outlined by the government will allow farmers to “have as much independence from weather conditions as possible”.
This, in turn, will “improve the quality of production and increase production in general,” she said.
