The government’s goal is to “create a new production model based on the use of smart technology” in the field of agriculture, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a conference about the future of agriculture, she said the government aims to “strengthen agricultural research” and promote the “adoption of sustainable practices”.

“Therefore, we are moving forward with actions which will ensure the adequacy and quality of production, while at the same time protecting the environment and strengthening the position of our farmers in the market,” she said.

To this end, she pointed to a soon-to-be announced “large investment measure” worth €65 million, which, she said, “constitutes another decisive step in strengthening the agricultural sector”.

“With innovative solutions and financial tools, this measure opens up new prospects for the modernisation and development of the sector,” she added.

She went on to say the government “wants our farmers to be the protagonists of this change” and that the new investment measure will soon go to a public consultation.

“Through this process, we seek to listen to the opinions and proposals of each producer individually, to shape a common path which will respond to the agricultural sector’s real needs,” she said.

Of the “new production model” the government aims to create, she said it will “have as its goal profit for producers” and that it will allow for the “creation and dissemination of new knowledge”, adding the implementation of new technologies will “contribute decisively” to this end.

She added that the economy, the environment and issues regarding food sufficiency and safety “require a new way of managing agricultural holdings which records and captures as best as possible the variability of crop, soil and microclimate characteristics”.

This, she said, is what “smart agriculture” will comprise of.

“The technologies used by smart agriculture concern, among other things, remote sensing, GPS and robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles and they aim to increase crop yield, improve the quality of products produced, use agrochemicals more efficiently, save energy and protect soil and water from pollution,” she said.

Thus far, less exciting but still ultimately useful technologies have been rolled out on Cypriot farms, with Panayiotou highlighting the use of smart water meters.

“They are expected to save irrigation water, as farmers will use the optimal amount and frequency of irrigation based on their crops’ exact needs and improve crop yields by implementing plant protection models, enhancing the growth and yield of their crops,” she said.

By doing this, she added, farmers will also reduce their own production costs and also better protect the environment by “more efficiently using natural resources and protecting the environment against nutrient leaching caused by over-irrigation”.