Our goal is to create conditions that will allow farmers to invest, modernise their farms and respond to growing demands, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment Christos Senekis said on Sunday.
In his address at the 2nd Pumpkin Festival in the Moutoullas Community, Senekis referred to the key priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, namely strengthening the primary sector and revitalising rural areas.
An important tool in this direction, he said, is the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027, with a total budget of 454 million euros.
The Minister of Agriculture also said that the government recognises that access to financing often constitutes an obstacle to the implementation of investments, adding that, for this reason, they have, in collaboration with commercial banks, created a Financial Tool for the primary sector with more favourable lending terms and simplified procedures.
In addition, Senekis noted that in 2026 there were targeted interventions totalling 2.5 million euros, focusing on the cost of fertilisers, agricultural supplies and agricultural oil, while last week, the Council of Ministers approved a proposal by the Ministry for an extraordinary financial support of 4.6 million euros for producers affected by the 2025 drought.
Regarding water security, the Senekis said that the Ministry is promoting a comprehensive plan, with projects worth over €200 million until 2030. This plan, he noted, includes strengthening desalination to meet water needs and releasing valuable reserves for irrigation, the wider use of reclaimed water, reducing losses and upgrading water infrastructure.
Finally, referring to the Pumpkin Festival, he said that “a familiar product of the Cypriot land, becomes the occasion for a celebration that brings back to memory those flavours and memories, highlights the value of local production and the relationship between the people and his land".
