Farmers in Paphos suspend protest following government intervention

Farmers in the Paphos district suspended a planned protest scheduled for Monday regarding restricted irrigation water supplies. The demonstration was initially organized after the Water Development Department (WDD) decided on April 24, when dam capacity was at 38.2%, to allocate zero water for seasonal crops in Paphos to maintain strategic reserves. Farmers expressed concerns that this decision would lead to crop failure and financial distress. Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panagiotou intervened by personally contacting protest organizers. A meeting has been scheduled for the coming week to address the water distribution issues. The protest was planned for the road leading to Paphos Airport, at the junction with the old Paphos-Limassol road. Agricultural organizations supported the farmers' grievances, noting that current allocations are lower than the already reduced amounts provided last year.