Olive production generates €15 million says minister

Olives are the primary tree crop in Cyprus, Agriculture Minister Petros Xenophontos said on Sunday, underlining they cover one million square metres around the island.

The production value of the sector reaches €15 million, he added, and is one of the most important branches of agriculture.

The olive is the most characteristic tree of the rural life of our country, the minister said, and is related to every aspect of our culture and religion.

The fruit of the olive tree, as well as its products, are one of the most basic elements of Cypriot and Mediterranean cuisine, he added, with the Mediterranean diet, known worldwide, based on olive oil.

Although the agricultural sector represents, in numbers, a small part of the country’s Gross National Product, it nevertheless exerts a significant influence on other sectors of the economy, thus multiplying its value, Xenophontos said addressing the first Festival of the Olive and Traditions in Analiontas.

Agriculture helps maintain the social fabric in rural areas and reduces urbanization and desertification, he added.

His ministry, he said, aims to continue to support the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and as part of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy for 2023-2027 will provide a total funding of €454 million.

“We are determined to breathe new life into the agricultural sector, to chart a new course that responds to its needs and addresses its real problems. Our goal is to support rural communities to remain vibrant hotbeds of economic, social and cultural development, combining agriculture, tourism and the protection of our natural environment,” Xenophontos said.