The payment of financial aid amounting to 2.004.600 euros was approved today by the Council of Ministers to farmers, whose crops were damaged by adverse weather conditions during the growing seasons 2019–2020 and 2020. According to the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment , Mr. Costa Kadis, the payment of aid was deemed appropriate, as a large number of farmers were affected by the serious damage caused to deciduous, citrus and banana crops during the above growing seasons. The relevant compensations will be paid to the beneficiaries by the end of May, according to the schedule announced by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Continuous and uninterrupted support to potato growers and the whole rural world
The Government recognizes and shares the problems faced by the primary agricultural sector, both due to the weather and the pandemic, which has affected the availability of agricultural products in the catering sector and the wider tourism sector.
From the beginning, there was a response and significant support in all sectors of the agricultural sector, through successive support packages approved by the Council of Ministers. To date, about 30 measures of support to farmers have been approved and implemented, amounting to approximately 20 million euros, in addition to the amounts allocated through Plans of the Ministries of Finance and Labor. These measures were the result of discussion and co-formation with all agricultural organizations and reflect the real effort of the State to respond to the need to support the rural world, based on the available resources.
Especially for the support of the potato producers, during the first phase of the pandemic, 1,8 million euros were allocated. Recently, the Council of Ministers approved an additional amount of 1,5 million euros, for which the approval of the European Commission should be secured, something that has been done. On May 25, the planned application process will open to the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization, so that potato growers can receive their appropriate support.
It is also noted that with the coordinated actions of the competent Ministers of Agriculture and Transport, the export of 1.900 tons of potatoes that were loaded yesterday on a ship and transported for trade abroad was accelerated, which sends the first encouraging signs of opening economies at European and global level.
Believing that the problems posed by the pandemic will soon be finally resolved, through the recovery and opening up of the economy, the Government will continue, to the best of its ability, to support the wider primary sector and all its sectors. economic activity of our place.