Paphos, Cyprus. Winegrowers in Paphos protested on Saturday against the government’s decision to limit compensation for downy mildew damage to certain grape varieties, saying producers of other affected varieties have been excluded from support.
They called for compensation to cover all varieties affected by the outbreak, which they said has caused severe crop losses across the district.
Compensation dispute
Winegrowers’ representative Myros Yiagkou said producers needed financial assistance to cope with the difficult conditions created by the disease.
“We ask and demand that all varieties be compensated. Winegrowers need financial support to be able to cope with the extremely difficult conditions that have been created,” he said.
The agriculture ministry had announced that it would accept damage declarations only for Mavro, Maratheftiko, Xynisteri and Vasilissa grape varieties.
Producers objected to the decision, rejecting the ministry’s assessment that the four varieties accounted for more than 50 per cent of the damage. They said several other varieties had also sustained total crop losses.
Calls for wider support
Panagrotikos Paphos district secretary Panikos Kaponas described the situation as “a total disaster” and said agricultural organisations had written to the ministry seeking the immediate inclusion of all grape varieties in the compensation scheme.
Herodotus Antoniadis, district secretary of the union of Cypriot farmers in Paphos, called for immediate support measures, saying viticulture makes a significant contribution to the Cypriot economy.
He urged the government to compensate all affected varieties so winegrowers could remain in business and “keep the Cypriot countryside alive”.
New inspection planned
Paphos district government president Charalambos Pittokopitis said downy mildew had affected vineyards throughout the district, regardless of grape variety.
He said he had asked the agriculture ministry to conduct new inspections to establish the full extent of the losses.
The ministry confirmed that a new inspection would take place at the end of August, as the outbreak is continuing.