[Cyprus Times] Rural organisations call for urgent meeting with the President and immediate financial assistance to farmers

Immediate payment of announced financial aid to farmers, as well as an urgent meeting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, were decided at a meeting held on Monday by the agricultural organizations PEK, EKA, PANAGROTIKOS, NEA AGROTIKI, and EUROAGROTIKOS.

In a joint statement, the organisations said that during the meeting they studied in depth the latest developments, in relation to the situation as it evolves, regarding the production of haloumi of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and the huge problems faced by farmers and decided to be in constant contact with the President and members of the Agriculture Committee of the Parliament, who are working and aligned with the Farmers' Movement's position on the implementation of the PDO legislation, with a view to exercising further parliamentary control.

They also call on theLegal Service to immediately issue its opinion on the questions raised by the Ministry of Agriculture on the controversial issue, the PDO, noting that regardless of the Attorney General's opinion, industries are obliged to produce halloumi according to the 1985 standard based on the decrees of the Minister of Commerce who has an obligation to intensify controls.

In addition, they sayDairy industries are required to immediately give the necessary increases in milk purchase prices to cover the increased cost of production following the huge increases in feed prices,[/B] adding that the only way is for the government to enforce the law with strict administrative and laboratory controls.

According to the farmers' organisations, "the government and the relevant ministries should support the livestock sector in terms of raw materials, grain, oil and electricity."

In addition,they have decided that the announced financial aid to livestock farmers should be paid immediately.

They further estimate that if these measures are not taken immediately, "the whole chain called halloumi will collapse like a paper tower."

"If things are left and end up here, it will not only be tragic, but a crime against Cyprus' livestock industry," they add.

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They note that pending the implementation of the specific proposals in the coming days, the Farmers' Organisations and Producers' Groups will call a Pancyprian Meeting of Livestock Farmers to reassess the situation and decide on their next steps.

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