-
.
- Ελληνικά
Aid for the installation of photovoltaic panels and for the purchase of less energy-intensive water pumps was decided to be given to farmers in western Nicosia, at a meeting held on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, with representatives of the Western Nicosia Farmers' Coordination Committee.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Costas Kadis, after the meeting, they discussed the long-standing problem of the high cost of pumping water for crops in the Western Nicosia area, noting that the Ministry acknowledges that farmers in Western Nicosia "are at a disadvantage compared to other farmers who receive water from large water projects and from the southern pipeline".
A study has been carried out by the ministry, he said, specifically for the area to improve the water balance and find additional water resources. The study resulted in specific infrastructure projects, which have been included in the ministry's budgets and their implementation will gradually begin.
He added, however, that the meeting agreed on more immediate solutions that are part of more environmentally friendly policies and in line with the Green Agreement.
"Farmers will be given the opportunity to install photovoltaic systems. In consultation with the President, the President of the RACC and the Minister of Energy, the range of photovoltaic systems is increased to 100 kw and in addition to the framework that will be developed, farmers in the region will be supported to install photovoltaic systems, through the Rural Development Programme, with a 75% funding rate. Through the same programme they will be able to be supported to purchase new pumps, which are less energy intensive," he said.
"With these moves, we believe that farmers in the region will have access to cheap water and this will make their involvement in the primary sector more sustainable and greener and environmentally friendly," he added.
For his part, Yannis Theodoulou, on behalf of the West Nicosia Farmers' Coordinating Committee, thanked the Minister of Agriculture for the sincere cooperation and the beneficial, as he said, results of today's meeting. He also expressed his thanks to the President, whose contribution has helped to alleviate a problem that dates back more than 30 years and which has put the farmers of the area in difficulty.
When asked, Theodoulou said that the West Nicosia area is not enriched either by the rivers or by the rains. So the only way left is pumping, and especially from great depths which in many cases make even the quality difficult. Today's decision to install photovoltaic systems will help reduce costs and green growth, he said.
"We need to apply new methods, innovations and products, but above all to reduce costs, because in order to be efficient and sustainable, our agriculture must be competitive with the rest of the EU countries," he said. "We hope that western Nicosia will be revived," he added."
Responding to a question about harassment of farmers in the buffer zone, the minister said the ministry has in the past supported farmers who were active in the buffer zone growing grain and the occupation regime harvested their crops. He said the ministry wants them to continue to operate, "we will continue to support them and will manage any issues that arise with harassment by the regime in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said.
"We will continue to assert our right to cultivate every last inch of Cypriot land and we are confident that with the actions the state is taking, it will ensure this," Theodoulou said on behalf of the farmers.
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
