Farmers across Cyprus are mobilising on Thursday to protest a proposed €86.5 billion reduction in funding for the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), warning it could severely damage the island’s primary production sector.

As part of the protest, farmers will drive tractors to the House of Europe in Nicosia, where they will submit a memorandum calling for the reversal of what they describe as a destructive policy decision.

Preparations began on Wednesday, with tractors gathering at four to five locations in Larnaca and the free Famagusta district, while some farmers are also preparing to participate in Nicosia. No mobilisations are planned from Limassol or Paphos due to distance.

Kyriakos Kailas, President of the Pancyprian Grain Producers’ Organisation, said the protest reflects the serious threat posed by the proposed CAP cuts.

“The reduction of the Common Agricultural Policy by €86.5 billion would mean the destruction of the primary production sector in many EU member states,” he said. “For Cyprus, which already has the lowest average production levels, this would be a death blow.”

He stressed that the demonstration will be peaceful, and confirmed that a memorandum has already been sent to the EU Commissioner, requesting the cancellation of the proposed cuts.

Kailas also highlighted ongoing delays in payments through the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation (CAPO), noting that many farmers remain unpaid despite efforts by the Ministries of Agriculture and Interior.

He warned that without urgent action, farmers face a difficult Christmas and New Year, adding that the problem affects not only growers but the wider public.

Kailas pointed to two long-standing issues that could be resolved without financial cost. The first concerns Turkish Cypriot properties allocated to refugees after 1974, where informal subleasing to younger farmers is widespread but considered illegal.

The second relates to state-owned land, with Land Registry applications pending since 2002. He proposed an automated payment system through CAPO, which could generate revenue for the state while resolving legal uncertainty.

Asked about escalation, Kailas said the future of the Common Agricultural Policy remains the priority, warning that forcing member states to compensate farmers nationally would place an additional burden on public finances.

“After consecutive years of drought, conditions are already extremely difficult,” he said. “Without proper funding and timely payments, the primary sector cannot survive.”

The Pan-Cyprian Grain Producers Organisation announced the launch of mobilisations involving tractors and the participation of its members in a protest scheduled for next Thursday at the House of Europe in Nicosia.

In an official statement, the organisation notes that information published so far, along with preliminary discussions regarding the new framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), indicate a shift in the philosophy of direct payments, with a gradual reduction in subsidies granted to farmers.

“This is a development that causes serious concern, as, without substantial political intervention, it will have severe consequences for the survival of farmers at a pan-European level, and particularly in countries such as Cyprus, where production conditions are already marginal,” the statement adds.

At the same time, the organisation points out that “Cypriot farmers are facing long-standing problems that directly affect productivity, competitiveness, and the sustainability of agricultural holdings.”

The Pan-Cyprian Grain Producers Organisation also highlights that delays in addressing issues related to the leasing of state and forest land plots, as well as the subleasing of Turkish Cypriot agricultural land to professional farmers, have resulted in the inability of the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation to disburse farmers’ subsidies. These payments correspond to earnings from the previous year.

“This situation seriously undermines their financial survival and limits the effectiveness of support programmes,” the organisation adds.

The Pan-Cyprian Grain Producers Organisation calls on all farmers to participate massively, in an organised and responsible manner, at the designated assembly points, sending a strong message that the agricultural sector is demanding immediate solutions.

It further stresses that the mobilisations have the sole objective of safeguarding the viability of the primary sector and protecting producers.

According to the organisation, tractor assembly points in Larnaca District include the Meneou Stadium, the overpass near the “Panorio” Reception Hall in Dromolaxia, the Panagia ton Ampelion overpass in Aradippou, and the area opposite the “Stavmani” Reception Hall in Athienou.

In Famagusta District, the tractor assembly point is the Liopetri overpass, while in Nicosia District, the assembly point is Kokkinotrimithia, near Papafilippou.