Statement by AKEL MP Yiannakis Gavriel at Extraordinary meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture on the country’s cereal reserves

 

28 February 2022, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia

Following the government’s decision to close down the semi-governmental Cyprus Grains Commission, we have continuously stressed the negative consequences that this decision would have on the Cyprus economy as a whole. Both regarding the potential increase in the cost of cereals and on the issue of maintaining strategic stocks and reserves for emergencies.

The first extremely worrying signs of the decision to dissolve the Cyprus Grains Commission were already apparent last September with the huge price increases and the shortages that began to appear on the market. The incompetence of the government was also evident as six full months after the approval of the law on maintaining strategic stocks, the government had not ensured that such stocks were maintained even for a single day.

The war in Ukraine has increased the concern about the adequacy of the country’s grain stocks and the ability to meet the country’s needs in case of problems in importing grain. An extraordinary meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture will be convened next Friday to examine the whole issue and be briefed by the competent Ministry.