Nicosia: Cyprus Agriculture Minister Christos Senekis announced a broad consultation with the farming community, with the first open consultation scheduled for October 8, as part of preparations for the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) period after 2027. Addressing the 46th Pancyprian Kolokasi Festival in Sotira, Senekis said the aim was to record the needs, challenges and proposals of farmers and other stakeholders and use them in designing the next CAP period. The new CAP, he said, 'must respond to the real conditions in which the Cypriot farmer is called upon to produce.'
According to Cyprus News Agency, the CAP 2023-2027 Strategic Plan is a key support instrument for farmers, with total funding of £454 million. Senekis described the response of producers to the plan's interventions as particularly encouraging, noting that applications under the major investment measure and the scheme for the first establishment of young farmers, with a total budget of £67.5 million, corresponded to requested aid of approximately £210 million.
Senekis emphasized that the Government recognized the importance of not just approving investments but also ensuring that producers have access to the necessary financing to implement them. Following consultations with the Finance Ministry and financial institutions, a new Financing Tool has been developed to facilitate productive investments in the agricultural sector, addressing a longstanding demand from the farming community.
Addressing the water shortage for agriculture, Senekis acknowledged it as a critical and longstanding challenge for the primary sector, highlighting the difficulties faced by farmers due to restrictions on irrigation water. Improved hydrological conditions in 2026 allowed the revision of initial water allocations, with the Cabinet deciding in June to provide an additional 3.5 million cubic metres of water for irrigation in various areas of Cyprus.
Senekis also noted that more than £200 million in water projects are being implemented during 2024-2030, focusing on desalination, the use of reclaimed water, reduction of losses, and network upgrades. The Cabinet updated the desalination plan on September 2, approving three new permanent desalination plants in Dhekelia, Agia Thekla, and Polis Chrysochous, which, along with the new plant in eastern Limassol, are expected to have a combined capacity of 180,000 cubic metres of water per day.
The Government's long-term strategic objective is to meet 100% of the country's drinking water needs through desalinated water, reducing dependency on rainfall and dam reserves, and creating greater security for irrigation and the agricultural sector.