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- Ελληνικά
It is with great pleasure that I attend the official opening ceremony of the 6th "Bee Festival" hosted for another year in the picturesque village of Ora, on the occasion of the celebration of the 20th of May as the World Bee Day.
The International Bee Day, established by the United Nations, aims to inform and raise public awareness of the importance of the bee and its essential role in maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity.
The contribution of bees to biodiversity and the production of over 75% of food in Europe through pollination led the European Union (EU) to include the protection of pollinators as an important pillar of the European Green Deal, with the aim of taking various actions to reverse the dramatic decline in their populations in recent years.
Support for beekeeping, which, in addition to benefiting the agricultural economy, has beneficial effects on agro-ecosystems, is one of the priorities of President Christodoulides' Governance Programme.
Recognizing this role of bees, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is implementing a series of actions to support beekeeping through various Community and national development programmes, aiming to offer incentives that will strengthen this traditional yet important profession.
These actions include the efforts of the services of the Ministry of Agriculture to minimise the risks to bee populations from the use of plant protection products. We are implementing the National Action Plan for Rational Use of Plant Protection Products which, among other things, concerns the use of plant protection products in such a way as to limit the negative consequences for pollinators.
In addition, we support our farmers through the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy for actions aimed at enhancing biodiversity.
Particularly in our region here, affected by the devastating fire of 2021, the importance of bees for the restoration of the region's biodiversity takes on particular significance. Agricultural activity and the natural landscape are inextricably linked to the well-being of bees, 75% of which were destroyed by the fire. In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture will submit to the Council of Ministers a specific measure to support beekeepers in the region through the free provision of beekeeping plants, which falls under the "Tree Planting Programme to Combat Climate Change".
In addition, beekeepers who wish to move their hives in the area during periods of intense flowering can make use of the corresponding National Scheme for the provision of aid for fuel oil, thus greatly reducing production costs.
An important tool for the development of beekeeping in Cyprus is the EU co-financed Beekeeping Programme. With this financial tool we support our beekeepers with an annual amount of €340.000 for actions concerning their training, the replacement of damaged hives, the fight against bee pests, research and actions aimed at raising public awareness of the importance of bees and beekeeping products.
Aid to beekeepers will also be available through the small investment measure for mountain communities, which will be announced in about a month's time for our agricultural sectors. This measure, as I have recently announced, will be able to provide funding for the installation of anti-frost infrastructure, photovoltaic systems and investments for the technological upgrading and development of the primary sector. And precisely because it became apparent that this measure had significant benefits for the primary sector, as well as a great response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment has decided to launch it earlier this year in order to provide even more immediate support.
Friends,
Raising public awareness of the importance of bees is a key pillar of our bee conservation policy. The operation of the Athalassa Bee Park since last month, as well as the interactive visits to schools conducted by the Pancyprian Beekeepers Association through the Beekeeping Program reflect our collective efforts to raise awareness and mobilize our society in the conservation of biodiversity.
The contribution of the Local Authorities, as well as our rural residents themselves, is important in this direction. The current organisation of the Bee Festival by the Ora Community Council is an excellent example of this effort. Therefore, I would like to express my sincere thanks and congratulations to the Chairman and members of the Ora Community Council for their tireless efforts to highlight and strengthen this festival so that it becomes an event that not only celebrates but also educates, raises awareness and encourages support for the beekeeping sector and the welfare of bees.
In closing, let me assure you once again that our efforts as a Government to provide even more support for beekeeping will be ongoing, precisely because we fully understand the benefits of bees both to our natural environment and to the development of the primary sector. After all, it is for this reason that the Presidential Orchard has been upgraded and enriched with beekeeping plants.
I am sure that visitors will enjoy a wonderful day full of knowledge and experiences, as well as the special hospitality of the picturesque village of Ora.
Thank you.
(EFYs/NZ/EP)
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