Potato growers will seek a meeting with the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades in order to raise the problems they face after the continuous increases in oil and fertilizers, in order to find a satisfactory solution.
As Andreas Karyos, President of the newly formed Organizing Committee of Potato Producers, told the Cyprus News Agency, "on Monday 4 July a meeting was held at the open amphitheatre of Liopetriou, in the presence of agricultural organizations and MPs, in order to take decisions on the problems created in the sector by the accuracy observed in recent times. The cost has doubled and has become unbearable, while with the price of potatoes both in Cyprus and abroad, we will not be able to continue our profession."
He added that "the great anxiety of potato farmers is that in a very short time they will be forced to stop working. During last night's meeting, the producers raised their concerns about where the industry is eventually going because of the high cost of growing the product and how the problems they face can be resolved."
In response to a question, Mr. Carios said that "potato producers have no money to subsidize the product since the cost cannot be passed on to the consumer. The producers with the expenses that exist, due to the constant increases in the prices of oil, fertilizers and others, cannot afford it."
He noted that "at the meeting it was decided to make an effort to have a meeting between the potato producers and the President of the Republic. In case such a meeting with President Anastasiades does not bear fruit for the benefit of the profession, a meeting of the Organizing Committee will be held to decide on the next steps."
To another question he replied that "last night the farmers' organizations informed us about the results of a meeting they had with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, which did not satisfy us at all. The monetary compensation that seems to be given to potato producers is not enough for their survival."
Regarding the issue of potato exports, Mr. Carios said that "there is a big problem, since the products arrived in European countries within 10 to 14 days and within a week they were on the shelves of supermarkets and the consumer. However, after the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the chain increases in oil prices, potatoes transported in refrigerated containers take a month to a month and a half to reach European countries."
[/P]We do not have time, he continued, "for the companies that transport products abroad to announce daily increases in shipping costs. Until now, 80% of Cyprus' potato production was exported to European countries between March and June, when there was no local product."
Source: CNA
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
