Supporting rural areas and improving the quality of life of our farmers constitutes a priority, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr. Maria Panayiotou, said on Saturday evening addressing the revival of the Famagusta Orange Festival, that takes place under the auspices of the President of the Republic.

The Ministry of Agriculture, she said in her address, recognises the difficult conditions faced by farmers, adding that "this is why our priority is to support our rural areas and improve the quality of life of our farmers by ensuring a fairer income, supporting the sustainability of farms, increasing the efficiency and quality of produce and strengthening innovation and smart agriculture."

She also referred to the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027, with a budget of 454 million euros, which links competitiveness with sustainability and environmental adaptation.

Support for the rural world is not limited to investments, Panayiotou said, adding that it also concerns the formation of a fairer, more transparent and more functional market for the producers.

Noting that continuous periods of drought highlight water as one of the most critical factors for the future of agriculture, she said that for this reason the government has gone ahead from the outset with a targeted plan that strengthens water security and water sufficiency.

"Our goal is to gradually strengthen water security, so as to create more favourable conditions for supporting agricultural activity and the rational use of reserves," she said. 

The Minister noted that the government is proceeding with a permanent desalination unit in the Ayia Napa/Agia Thekla area, with a production capacity of 30,000 cubic meters per day, with the possibility of expanding it to 40,000 cubic meters per day, further strengthening the water security of the government controlled areas of Famagusta.

Referring to the EU, she said that the recent political agreement on the amendment of the Common Market Organisation proves that the European Union can provide substantial solutions to the real needs of the agricultural world and stressed the contribution of the Cyprus EU Presidency, saying that a fairer and more functional framework for market management has been formed.

For the farmers of Cyprus, she continued, this development means greater security in transactions, strengthening their collective power and upgrading the value of local products.

The Minister pointed out that the upcoming Informal EU Council of Ministers of Agriculture hosted in Cyprus on May 4 will focus on strengthening the resilience of European agriculture in the face of the climate crisis and modern challenges.

Referring to the revival of the  Famagusta Orange Festival, she said that "today, for the first time since the tragic events of 1974, the Orange Festival returns, not to its physical location - unfortunately, but within our hearts, preserving its memory and identity". 

She noted that before the Turkish invasion, it was one of the most brilliant and important cultural festivals of Cyprus, highlighting the city as the center of citrus cultivation on the island.

Source: CNA (ΚΥΠΕ)