Cyprus grain producers to protest EU CAP farm subsidy changes

Cyprus grain producers will mobilise tractors and rally outside Nicosia’s House of Europe next Thursday to protest revisions to the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) framework.

The organisation announced the action amid reports and preliminary talks on a new CAP framework that would revise direct payments and gradually cut subsidies for farmers.

“Without substantial political intervention, this will have serious consequences for the survival of farmers at a pan-European level and especially in countries such as Cyprus, where production conditions are already marginal,” the organisation stated.

“Cypriot farmers are faced with long-standing problems, which directly affect the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural holdings,” it added.

According to the statement, delays in resolving state and forest plot leasing, along with the subleasing of Turkish Cypriot agricultural land to professional farmers, prevented the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation from disbursing last year’s subsidies.

“This situation seriously hampers their economic survival and limits the effectiveness of support programs”, it added.

The organisation urged all farmers to join en masse at designated spots in an organised, responsible manner, demanding immediate solutions for the agricultural sector.

It clarified that mobilisations solely aim to ensure primary sector sustainability and protect producers.