Government assures adequate grain supply amidst concerns

There will be no shortages in grain for human consumption as the government would step in to prevent such a scenario, Agriculture Minister Petros Xenophontos assured the House agriculture committee on Wednesday.

The discussion, tabled by Akel and Diko, focused on the issues surrounding strategic grain stocks after a recent decree ordered the release to the market of state maize stocks.

“We are here to solve issues, and we do,” Xenophontos said.

He highlighted that as soon as it came to his ministry’s attention that there were issues with maize sufficiency in the market, “we ensured within one day that a quantity was released from the strategic reserves in order to satisfy the needs of our farmers”.

The ministry, acting according to the relevant laws, released 7,000 tonnes of maize to satisfy market demand, he said, reminding that this was unanimously agreed during a House agriculture committee session on August 17.

On the same day, a relevant decree was published, he added. “Therefore, we consider that the issue has been resolved, and that all agricultural organisations have welcomed and are fully satisfied with the ministry’s actions”.

Regarding the strategic stocks of grain for animals, Xenophontos said that there is a relevant decree issued on animal feed.

Regarding the strategic stocks of grains for human consumption, the health ministry’s general director Andreas Gregoriou clarified that the ministry found that it was not necessary to maintain other stocks, because what existed for commercial purposes were enough to meet the needs of the entire population for two to three months.

He also said an annual decree ensures that there is sufficient grain for up to 15 days concerning 4 per cent of the amount of grain imported in the previous year.

Gregoriou said that even though the first decree of 2022 was challenged in court by grain importers, animal stocks have increased and so did milk production.

A representative of the Legal Service said that the law gives the minister the ability to issue a decree, but he is not obliged to do so if he deems it unnecessary.

She added that after the new decree was published in the official gazette on March 31, 2023, the case was withdrawn from court in relation to the 2022 decree because it was moot.

Apart from the minister, the committee was joined by representatives from agricultural organisations, cattle farmer unions and animal feed importers, who confirmed that there were no issues with the strategic grain stocks, welcoming the decision to release the maize stocks as it helped meet demand.

It was also reported that out of the 7,000 tonnes of stocks released by the state, only 1,000 tonnes have so far been allocated as only a few days have passed since the decree was issued.