-
.
- Ελληνικά
It is with great pleasure that I am here today, following the kind invitation of the Agros Community Council, to welcome and put under my auspices the 16th Rose Festival. Since ancient times, the rose has played a central role in the everyday life of the Greeks and the peoples of the region, with the first historical description being found in Theophrastus, who mentions varieties that were cultivated in Philippi and on Mount Paggaio.
Since ancient times, the rose has played a central role in the everyday life of the Greeks and the peoples of the region, with the first historical description being found in Theophrastus, who mentions varieties that were cultivated in Philippi and Mount Paggaio. The most prevalent version is that the first plants of Rose of Damascene were introduced to Cyprus by monks of the Monastery of Kykkos, after a trip to the monastery's Metochia in Romania.
In Agros, the cultivation of the Rose of Damascene was started by the teacher and folklorist Nearchos Clerides, who urged his students to plant 50 rose bushes in their families' fields. Since then, rose-growing has been a characteristic activity of the area, providing supplementary income and jobs, but also embellishing and enhancing the natural environment. It is truly impressive to see, at this time of year, the fields wearing their pink hues and filling the atmosphere with the exquisite fragrance of this particular rose.
Local housewives use the rose in their cooking and confectionery, while its medicinal uses for nursing mothers, infants and young children, as well as for adult health issues, are well known.
The traditional products made from the Damascene rose, such as rose distillate, rose oil, liqueur and sweet, have been well-known activities in the region for decades. The pioneers and pioneers in this activity were the inhabitants of Agros and the wider region, with this year marking 106 years since the beginning of rose distillation in the area.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The rose, a plant that for centuries has been inextricably linked to the culture and history of our island, is an important element of our local production, uniting us with our roots and traditions.
It is for this reason that the constant policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, but also of the Government in general, is the encouragement and support of our producers for the promotion of the quality products of our land. Already with the coordinated efforts of our Ministry and the producers, the sweet rose of Agros has been registered in the relevant register of the European Union as a Protected Geographical Indication since 2016, while at the moment, at the European level, the examination of the file of the rose of Agros as a Protected Geographical Indication product continues.
Our Ministry, having as a strategic goal the expansion of cultivation, has included the plum rose among the traditional landscape shrubs, for which funding interventions are foreseen within the framework of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027, for the undertaking of environmentally beneficial actions.
Specifically, with the intervention to exclude the use of chemical herbicides in systematic plantations of traditional landscape crops, support, in addition to the extensification, is foreseen per tenth of a hectare. In addition, aid for the cultivation of plum roses is also included in other interventions of the Strategic Plan, such as training and financial support for new first-time farmers, incentives for the establishment and modernisation of processing units, including the processing of roses, the use of compost, as well as measures to support organic farming, etc.On this occasion of my presence here today, I urge our producers to make use of these financial instruments, which are beneficial both for the sustainability of their farms and for the environment. I note here the targeted announcement of the small investment fund for mountain communities, which has attracted great interest from producers in your region with the installation of anti-frost infrastructure, photovoltaic systems and investments for the technological upgrading and development of the primary sector. On the occasion of my presence here in Agro, but also recognizing the already significant benefits as well as the response to this measure, I would like to announce that the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment will re-advertise this measure earlier this year. Therefore we have already started the preparatory work and next month we will proceed with the re-tender. In addition, actions related to women's agribusiness are planned to further strengthen the role of women in rural areas by holding special thematic workshops and supporting investment ideas. Helpers in our Ministry's efforts to increase the employment of young people and women in the countryside and to reduce homelessness are both the Cooperative Society of Rose Growers of the Field and private enterprises for the processing, treatment and production of traditional rose products. Their activity in the sector contributes positively to this effort.
Finally, I remind you that the present government, wanting to show its support for the revitalization of the area, the YS has decided to renovate and improve the Glafkos Clerides Sports Centre, which has remained inactive due to problems since 2019.
Finally, I remind you that the present government, wanting to show its support for the revitalization of the area, the YS has decided to renovate and improve the Glafkos Clerides Sports Centre, which has remained inactive due to problems since 2019. Along with the renovation which is estimated to cost around €5 million, it has been decided to include the sports centre in the CU budget.
Dear friends,
Through our actions and policies as a Ministry and as a Government, our goal is to create better conditions for business and economic activity in our countryside. Investing in the quality, tradition and uniqueness of Cypriot agricultural products can make our country's primary sector a pole of development and social cohesion, while together with other parallel actions in horizontal areas of governance, can contribute to the revitalization of our mountainous areas and the upgrading of the quality of life of our residents.
Addressing the President and the members of the Agros Community Council, let me conclude by expressing my warmest congratulations for their continuous effort to maintain this celebration as an institution, enriching and upgrading it every year.
Addressing the President and the members of the Agros Community Council, let me conclude by expressing my warmest congratulations for their continuous effort to maintain this celebration as an institution, enriching and upgrading it every year. The role that you, the inhabitants of the Community, play in promoting local produce is invaluable. With your love and care for the place, you are the main pillars for the dissemination, expression and preservation of our tradition, our local products and our customs, highlighting the diversity of Cypriot production and the beauty of your region.
I hope you all enjoy the Rose Festival, as we enjoy its enchanting smell, and thank you for the welcome and such warm hospitality, which reflects the authentic culture of our countryside.
(EFYs)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
Source[/P][/P]
