Cypriot farmers protest rising production costs and demand further government support

The Panagrotikos farmers’ association in Cyprus has urgently called on the government to introduce targeted financial measures to combat rising production costs, specifically citing the expensive price of fertilizers, plant-protection products, and fuel. Farmers argue that as a small island state without domestic production of these essential inputs, they face crippling transportation and supply costs, which threaten the viability of the entire agricultural sector.

During a recent Parliamentary Agriculture Committee meeting, lawmakers from across the political spectrum and agricultural organizations criticized current government initiatives as inadequate. Panagrotikos representative Anastasis Yiapanis and Committee President Giannakis Gavriil highlighted that recent fuel cost increases alone have created an additional annual burden exceeding €10 million. While the Ministry of Agriculture presented two new subsidy schemes, critics labeled them "drops in the ocean.

Minister of Agriculture Christos Senekis stated that the government is processing additional support programs and securing €4.6 million in EU aid. Furthermore, in response to prolonged drought conditions, the government approved the allocation of 3.5 million cubic meters of water, totaling 7 million cubic meters of additional irrigation water for 2026. Long-term infrastructure projects exceeding €200 million are planned through 2030 to address systemic water shortages.