Nicosia, Cyprus. The government is rolling out a €168 million package of measures to address Cyprus’ water shortage, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said, while also outlining broader plans to invest €454 million in the agricultural sector through the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
She said water scarcity remained one of the biggest challenges facing agriculture, alongside climate change and rising production costs.
Water shortage measures
Panayiotou said the €168 million package focuses on three priorities: expanding desalination capacity to free up reservoir water for irrigation, maximising the use of reclaimed water and modernising irrigation networks to reduce losses.
According to the minister, Cyprus already reuses around 90 per cent of its treated wastewater, significantly above the European Union average, with reclaimed water meeting around 37 per cent of the country’s irrigation needs.
She added that the government’s long-term objective is for all drinking water supplies to come from desalination plants, allowing dam water to be reserved exclusively for agricultural use.
CAP investment plan
Panayiotou also highlighted the implementation of Cyprus’ €454 million CAP strategic plan, which she said is aimed at improving the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the sector.
She said recent funding calls for agricultural investment projects and grants for new farmers, worth a combined €67.5 million, had generated strong interest.
More than 1,225 applications seeking approximately €187.6 million in subsidies have already been submitted, the minister said, while a further 134 applications, worth an additional €16.7 million, are still being prepared ahead of the July 17 deadline.
Describing the response as particularly encouraging, Panayiotou noted that investment grants can reach up to €800,000 per agricultural holding.
Rural development programme
She also referred to the EU-funded Leader rural development programme, noting that the Troodos local action group, The Troodos Area Communities Development Company, has been allocated €3.1 million for local development projects.