A request for a review of the planning for the management of water resources, in order to allocate water to potato farmers, was raised, among others, by agricultural organizations to the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Christos Senekis, in the context of the ceremonial meeting they held on Tuesday.
Speaking to CNA, representatives of the agricultural organizations PEK and EKA positively evaluated the meeting with the Minister, during which they discussed the issues of concern to the agricultural and livestock sectors, with an emphasis on climate change, water scarcity and water management.
Christos Papapetrou, President of the PEC, stated that during the discussion, reference was made to the pressures that the agricultural sector is under from geopolitical situations, water scarcity, and from several EU decisions, such as the green transition, or the various trade agreements, such as with Mercosur.
"The meeting was very satisfactory. The Minister chose to see all the agricultural organizations together in a short period of time since taking office," he said, noting that this shows his will for close cooperation with the agricultural movement, "so that we can do our best for the development of the agricultural sector."
More immediately, he said, the issue of allocating quantities of water from the southern pipeline for potato cultivation was raised. Currently, no water is being allocated, he said, with the result that so far only those farmers who have boreholes are proceeding with cultivation, with the production cost being very high.
Mr. Papapetrou noted that they expect a response from the Minister on the matter in the coming days, as the potatoes must be planted no later than September 15. As he said, the Minister gave orders for a reassessment of the situation with water reserves, in order to investigate the possibilities of granting water for agriculture.
As Mr. Papapetrou noted, if the water concession is not possible, potato cultivation will be affected, resulting in the loss of foreign markets. On the other hand, he noted that the cost of production using drilling triples the cost, while he also noted as important the protection of groundwater, which is over-pumped using drilling, which should only be used as a reserve.
Furthermore, he stated that all the issues raised with the Minister are catalytic factors that dramatically increase the cost of production for farmers, which cannot be passed on to the final product, as it concerns basic goods.
For his part, the Secretary General of the Greek Water Resources and Environment Agency, Panikos Hampas, described the meeting with Mr. Senekis as constructive, noting that the new Minister has great challenges to face. He referred specifically to climate change and water issues, noting that more sophisticated water management is required for agriculture and livestock, citing Israel as an example.
"We raised the issue of redesigning agriculture in Cyprus, so that what we cultivate is resistant to these extreme weather phenomena that will be more intense in the coming years," he said.
As he said, the discussion will continue. "We agreed to implement the institution of the agricultural advisory committee, with the participation of agricultural organizations, the Minister and the competent services of the Ministry, and to meet approximately every two months to discuss all the issues," he said.
Furthermore, Mr. Hampas mentioned that today Stavros Malas' team is submitting the livestock farming plan to the President of the Republic and the agricultural organizations are expected to issue a relevant joint statement.
"We must finally organize ourselves with long-term targeted programs, in order for them to yield results for the economy and the environment," he said.
Source: KYPE
