The government’s pre-election pledges to farmers are up in the air

Statement by AKEL MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Yiannakis Gavril

28 November 2023

Today we discussed for the umpteenth time before the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee the increased production costs in the primary sector and the need to provide support measures to farmers.

Listening to the Minister responsible, one would think that our farmers are millionaires. Since last March, and while the reduction of production costs has been the top priority in Nikos Christodoulides’ election manifesto, we have heard absolutely nothing. No improvement of the existing measures, nor any new measure to relieve farmer’s increased costs, which, without any trace of exaggeration, are killing the agricultural sector day by day.

We have heard many pledges and announcements today, but we have not seen any action or deeds. Farmers’ organisations and producer groups have once again sounded the alarm that this situation cannot go on any longer, that enough is enough.

The government must, at long last, assume its responsibilities and proceed to the fulfillment of its pre-election pledges and take measures to relieve farmers from the increased state costs due to the price increases.

We will not tire of putting pressure on this issue, because it touches without any exaggeration on the very survival of the agricultural sector. We will therefore come back to the issue in January.