The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Costas Kadis, today assured the rural world that he will be constantly by his side, he will see all the issues that concern him to make his life easier, in order to keep the agricultural activity sustainable ".
In statements after a tour in the free province of Famagusta, the Minister said that "today together with the Agricultural Organizations we visited various agricultural units in the area". It is a fact, he continued, that at this time the farmers are facing great challenges due to the effects of the pandemic and added that "especially at this time when in normal years the tourist activity opened and many of the agricultural products were channeled, we have a significant differentiation".
He said the government does not remain indifferent to the situation. "We heard from the farmers the problems they face, we have recorded them and we informed them about some measures we have taken, from which they will receive immediate support, such as, especially in this area, the measure of support for potato growers, with a fund "of the order of 1,5 million euros, precisely to cover the effects of the pandemic", he stressed.
He continued, "we informed about another measure taken with a joint proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Interior, for zero rents of those farmers who cultivate state land, whether it is forest or halit, for 2021 and 2022".
The Minister also mentioned that there are still a number of other measures that are being taken to support the wider agricultural sector. "The primary sector is also supported by the measures of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labor", he said and noted that "this does not mean that there are not enough problems yet to be solved and that is why we are here to hear them from the farmers themselves" .
Mr. Kadis said that they recorded a series of issues, which together with his associates will be worked out in the next period. "I want to assure the rural people that we will always be by their side to see one by one the issues that concern them and to make their lives easier because we want to keep the agricultural activity sustainable," he noted.
For his part, the General Secretary of Panagrotikos, Tasos Giapanis, said that the visit to the free province of Famagusta is one of the regular excursions organized by the Agricultural Organizations with the Minister of Agriculture. And this "to be close to the farmers so that they can see for themselves but at the same time hear the farmers themselves".
A two-way briefing, he said, where many problems are recorded but at the same time by farmers, in addition to their justified requests to hear from the Ministry what are the intentions and what they can do to solve these problems.
He added that "the plan of support for potato cultivation of 1,5 million euros has already been announced, which we hope will be implemented next month, with financial benefit to the potato growers". He also continued, it has been announced, with a decision of the Council of Ministers, the deletion and the zero payment of the rent for the Halitika, forest and Turkish Cypriot plots, which is also in the right direction.
According to Mr. Giapanis, before the Minister "some problems were also raised that came to the surface a year ago with the implementation of the new Agricultural Insurance Plan, which are really justified and have been recorded". That is why the issue is being consulted by the Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Organizations in order to find a solution, as he mentioned.
He expressed the wish and hope that these problems "will be solved very soon and that we will have, as always, next to us the Minister himself for the difficult times".