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It was with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation of the Community Council of Agios Ioannis Pitsilia to sponsor today's event on the management of rodents in the Cypriot countryside. And I say with great pleasure, because today's event is my first contact in my new capacity as Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment with you, our farmers, the hard-working people of the land, who are the backbone of the Cypriot countryside.
Allow me to congratulate the Chairman of the Community Council for taking the initiative to organise today's event on this important issue, and to thank him for the opportunity given to us as a Ministry to present the National Rodent Management Plan using anthropology and to raise awareness of the importance of biological management of rodents and the need to reduce the use of chemical preparations.
When we say biological control, we are referring to the use of predators or pathogens to control harmful insects in crops. This is a natural process that has always existed in nature, without human intervention, which ensures the health of the planet and ecosystems. Today, we use this method deliberately to protect crops, creating an effective and environmentally friendly technique in modern agriculture. This helps to get quality produce, while protecting both the environment and the health of consumers.
It is important to stress that in organic management, the goal is not to eradicate harmful organisms, but to keep them at low levels. Sometimes, organic control alone is not enough, so we combine it with other techniques, such as resistant plant varieties, specific cultural practices and the use of pheromones. The use of plant protection products should be a last resort. And this is exactly the basic idea behind the integrated control we are aiming for.
The human bird is one of farmers' best allies in the fight against rodents in the countryside as it feeds almost exclusively on rodents and is a natural enemy that could not be left unused.
The "National Rodent Management Plan using the human bird" was prepared in 2019 and implemented in full force for the third year this year, with a budget of our Ministry of €65,000, by the Departments of Agriculture and Forests, the Game and Fauna Service, the Veterinary Services and the Cyprus Ornithological Association. In this framework, the placement of artificial nests of mantis birds in all provinces is being reinforced on a proper basis, while the project aims mainly at mapping the nests already placed and those planned to be placed, studying the biology of the mantis bird, as well as informing the farming community about the importance of biological management and the need to reduce the use of chemical preparations that are often used uncontrollably in the countryside. Important actions are also planned under the Rural Development Plan with subsidised actions for beneficiaries aimed at reducing the use of rodenticides in the countryside and enhancing and protecting biodiversity. We will hear more about these later in the presentations by our Ministry and Department of Agriculture officials.
Our environment has been irreparably damaged by anachronistic agricultural practices aimed at easy profit. It is time to shift to a more rational approach based on sustainability and harmonious coexistence with nature. I would like to assure you that in cooperation with local communities like yours, we are promoting the implementation of these rational practices, protecting our way of life and our environment. Thank you for your support and your contribution to our common goal of a sustainable and healthy agriculture.
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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