Memo to the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades on the huge problems faced by farmers, farmers, livestock farmers and fishermen of Cyprus from the Covid-19 pandemic, which have been significantly aggravated due to the war in Ukraine, have announced that they have been sent by the PEK agricultural organisations, EKA, PANAGROTIKOS, NEA AGROTIKOS, EUROAGROTIKOS, noting that they are calling for substantial financial support to producers so that they can continue to produce food, ensuring food sufficiency in the market, significantly supporting the economy.
With the announcement in view of the upcoming meeting of farmers' organizations with the President of the Republic to be held as soon as the President returns from abroad, they call on farmers and livestock farmers to await the results of this meeting, the results of which they will be informed of and accordingly any measures imposed will be taken, if and when necessary.
In the extensive memorandum they mention among other things that the problems arising from Covid - 19 and in relation to the primary sector and the food security of citizens and the new very negative data created because of the war in Ukraine, which have resulted in an increase in the prices of fertilizers, grain, animal feed, pesticides, oil, electricity and in general all raw materials for primary production have sharply increased the cost of production, which is unmanageable for farmers.
In the memorandum to the President of the Republic, a series of measures such as the implementation of the institution of the "Farmer's Card" and the creation/establishment of a Rural Development Guarantee Fund, in order to solve the problems of liquidity and access of the rural world to the banking system (example of Greece), the immediate provision of sufficient quantities of raw materials such as fertilisers, cereals, animal feed, seeds, seedlings, potato seeds and other necessities for primary production and subsidising the increase in their price.
They also recommend providing free water to professional producers and livestock farmers for a period of time, zero taxation on agricultural oil (excise duty - VAT) and a reduction in the VAT rate on electricity, freezing of interest and instalments on agricultural loans and irrigation sections and the sale of agricultural land and to supply only Cypriot products to the National Guard, hospitals and state services in general.
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