Farmers and agricultural workers have been making desperate efforts to protect their crops from the recent frost, watering them all night with water that has often turned to crystal, in a desperate attempt to save potatoes, vegetables, melons and fruit trees. Producers are on constant alert, representatives of the Pancyprian Potato Producers' Coordination, Panagrotikos and EKA told CNA, noting that crops have already been damaged.
As Andreas Karyos, representative of the Pancyprian Potato Producers' Coordination, told CNA, "in these difficult weather conditions that have prevailed in Cyprus in recent days, potato producers across Cyprus have been on alert all night, trying to protect their crops."
Specifically, he said, "they monitor the temperature and as soon as it drops to one or even zero degrees, then the machines start to pour water on the plantations until the sun comes out."
He added that "watering the plantations throughout the night cannot be done for all crops, resulting in farmers choosing the largest potatoes in order to save money."
However, he noted, "due to the severe frost that prevails, the water that falls on the crops freezes and becomes crystal, resulting in a reduction in the area to which the water is sent, creating gaps in frost protection and causing damage."
Responding to a relevant question, Mr. Karyos said that "in the Community of Avgorou, as well as in other areas of the Famagusta district, in Paphos and even in Nicosia, the temperature dropped between 2 and 4 degrees below zero, resulting in damage to several crops."
To another question, he replied that "the frost protection of potatoes began on Friday night and will continue until the early hours of Wednesday, in order for farmers to save as much of their crops as they can."
Mr. Karyos expressed “thanks to the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Dr. Maria Panayiotou and the Department of Water Development for releasing water all these evenings to farmers in order to save their crops”. He also said, “we ask the WDD to release water one hour earlier than the scheduled time because this one hour more enables farmers to save more crops”.
Tasos Giapanis, Secretary General of the Pan-Agricultural Union, told CNA that "at the moment there is some isolated damage, however the destruction is not total because after our intervention, the Water Development Department (WDD) released water so that farmers could water their crops in the last few evenings."
However, he said, "because the bad weather phenomenon will continue today and tomorrow, farmers are on alert trying to save what is left of their plantations."
He added that "the problem with water is great and we appeal to the Department of Water Development to provide water to farmers, in the sense that it will not be calculated in the quantities that will be given to each farmer."
He stressed that "this is an emergency situation and the WDD should give farmers, potato growers, fruit growers and even winegrowers the opportunity to try to save their crops."
For his part, Panikos Hampas, Secretary General of the Cyprus Farmers' Union (EKA), stated that "the frost that has been prevailing in Cyprus in recent days has affected all provinces and all crops."
As he said, "potato farmers began pouring water on their plantations since early Saturday morning and this will continue until Wednesday, so that at least some crops can be saved."
However, he continued, "the damage to all plantations from the frost will be known in the coming days."
All farmers, he pointed out, "are trying to save their crops, sacrificing their health, since the battle they are fighting is both with the cold and with the water, which turns to ice," and added that "another big problem is the water that is not available, resulting in issues in both the quantity and quality of agricultural products."
Asked by CNA which crops are affected, Mr. Hampas said that "in addition to potatoes and vegetables, frost is also causing a major problem for melons."
Specifically, he said, "due to the very low temperatures, yesterday, Sunday, entire families in Kiti were in the fields and were putting double nylon over the crops, in order to increase the temperature and save their melons."
To another question, he replied that "at the moment there are not sufficient quantities of water in Cyprus and the issue is to properly manage the remaining quantities in order to save the plantations."
They will give it two to three more days and "then we expect the competent services of the Ministry of Agriculture to visit the plantations to assess the damage," he concluded.
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