Government earmarks €1.5m for agricultural oil and fertiliser projects

Aradippou, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides said strengthening the primary sector was a matter of food security, announcing that the government had earmarked €1.5 million for two projects to address increased agricultural oil and fertiliser costs.

The projects are scheduled for completion by February 2027, he said during a dinner hosted by the Cyprus Grain Producers Organisation on Monday evening.

Food security and agricultural policy

Christodoulides said Cyprus needed to protect its primary sector as an island country located far from the centre of Europe.

Crises in recent years, particularly the war in Ukraine, had highlighted the importance of food safety and a strong primary sector, he said, adding that he was aware of this year’s grain supply issue.

Cyprus opposed EU member states seeking smaller budgets for the Common Agricultural Policy, he said. The government’s position was to strengthen the primary sector, improve producers’ quality of life and attract younger people to agriculture.

Production challenges and support

The president said a lesson had been learnt from 1990-1991, when producers were told to uproot their vineyards, while efforts were now being made to strengthen the sector 36 years later.

He thanked former agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou for what he described as her excellent work in promoting producers’ demands.

Production in 2026 was better than in recent years, creating optimism among producers after consecutive periods of drought, he said.

However, he said 2026 had been affected by foot-and-mouth disease, climate change, extreme weather, crop losses and high production costs worsened by the war in Ukraine and the Middle East crisis.

Grain sector funding

Turning to grains, Christodoulides said the sector had contributed €9.5 million since 2019, while the government had provided grants worth €35 million.

The grants included more than €25 million for losses caused by drought in 2024 and 2025, he said.

He added that other sectors were also being supported, including €4.6 million approved by the European Commission for farmers due to increased animal feed prices.