Agriculture minister pledges government support for the sector

The Christodoulides government has set high on its priorities the support of agriculture, new minister Petros Xenofontos said on Sunday during his first pubic appearance, at the Mandarin Festival in Dierona.

“I am very glad that my first visit since taking office is to the picturesque village of Dierona,” the agriculture ministers said.

The village is famous for its citrus fruit, and especially the mandarin, which is certified as a separate unique variety called Dopika. Its resistance to cold allows it to be cultivated in the village.

Xenofontos said it “offers the landscape a special beauty and fragrance”, while also being a good source of income for inhabitants.

He recognised that the citrus sector in Cyprus faces several adversities and challenges.

And although the agriculture sector only accounts for a small amount of the island’s GDP, it helps preserve the social fabric in rural areas, the minister said, and as such is an area of concern for the government.

To support the sector, the strategic plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027 is being implemented with a total funding of €454 million, Xenofontos said, which includes policies that have as their ultimate goal the mitigation of environmental problems and the fight against climate change.

“We are committed to supporting our rural communities, recognising that they are hotbeds of economic, social and cultural development, which we must keep alive.”