Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou paid an official visit to Ireland during which she had discussions focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation, a Ministry of Agriculture press release says.
During her visit between 7- 9 October, the Cyprus Minister met with the Irish Minister of Agriculture, Food and Marine Affairs, Martin Haydon.
They agreed to jointly promote the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in the fields of agricultural education, research and innovation.
Panayiotou noted that the MoU will be based on the good practices implemented by the Irish Ministry and which could also be adopted in Cyprus. She also said that 90% of Ireland's agri-food products are exported.
She said that, with her counterpart, they discussed the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU, which begins in January.
Panayiotou noted that Ireland will assume the Presidency right after Cyprus and its main priority will be the completion of the discussions regarding the new Common Agricultural Policy after 2027.
She also pointed out that the goal is to work closely with Ireland to ensure a smooth transition, because the priority is to support farmers and we can only achieve this through close cooperation between all member states.
The Minister extended an invitation to her counterpart to visit Cyprus in the coming months.
During her visit to Dublin, the Minister visited the Teagasc Grange Research Center, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Teagasc), as well as model farms where she had the opportunity to talk to farmers and livestock breeders.
She said that the contacts focused on the exchange of experiences on education, advisory systems and innovation, as well as on the common challenges of the primary sector.
Panayiotou further discussed with Teagasc officials, the prospect of cooperation in the areas of agricultural education, digital agriculture, the development of small agri-food businesses and training.
The Minister had also a meeting at the offices of Bord Bia –the Irish Food Board, where she was informed about strategies for promoting Irish agri-food products and the tools that support producers and exports.
The press release by the Ministry also notes that Ireland is a model country in the implementation of the AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System) model, which connects research, education and farmers, demonstrating that the cooperation of the state, science and producer is the key to a more resilient and modern agriculture.
(Source: CNA)
