Petros Xenophontos, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, announced a series of measures to enhance the competitiveness of Cyprus' agricultural sector during his address at the Big Potato Festival in Xylofagou.

At the heart of the ministry's efforts is the push to register the "Cypriot Red Soil Potato" as a Geographical Indication product in the European Union Registry. This recognition would offer consumers assurance about the product's quality and origin, benefiting both consumers and producers. As Minister Xenophontos stated, such a distinction would "enable consumers to trust and distinguish high-quality products" while aiding producers in marketing their offerings more effectively.

During the festival, Minister Xenophontos highlighted the successful adoption of two key measures under the Rural Development Program 2014-2020:

A. Measure 4.1: A provision for financial support for primary sector investments.

B. Measure 6.1: Assistance for new farmers setting up for the first time.

These initiatives have received substantial interest from the rural community. After evaluating all applications, the ministry has increased the subsidy from the initially proposed 36 million euros to a robust 70 million euros. This increase ensures the approval of all qualifying applications.

In line with EU standards, Minister Xenophontos spoke of the ministry's proactive strategies. These encompass risk management reforms for agricultural production and legislative actions against Unfair Trading Practices in the agriculture and food supply chain. Efforts to amplify the efficiency of Local Markets to benefit farmers are also underway.

Considering external geopolitical challenges, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a special budget of 3.5 million euros has been allocated to bolster the 2022 spring potato harvest.