Strengthening local farmers’ markets is a key pillar of the agriculture ministry’s policy, Minister Maria Panayiotou said on Tuesday.

Speaking at an educational farmers market in the orchard of the presidential palace, she encouraged more sustainable consumer habits through accessible, fairly priced local goods.

“That is why the government, and specifically the agriculture ministry attaches particular importance to the role of farmers’ markets, as a mechanism for the direct distribution of quality agricultural products to consumers,” she said.

The cultivation and consumption of Cypriot products, she added, was not only an economic choice but an “environmental responsibility”.

“We work consistently to bring the consumer closer to the producer, to enhance the availability of fresh, local products and to shape new, more responsible consumer behaviours”, she said.

Panayiotou underscored the need to strengthen environmental awareness, particularly through educational initiatives to underline the value of consuming local and seasonal products.

Such efforts, she said, could encourage more sustainable consumer habits while fostering a deeper understanding of the environmental impact of food choices.

“And today’s initiative highlights exactly this connection: the value of knowing what we consume, where it comes from, and how this affects our health and the nature around us,” the minister stressed.

By prioritising local and seasonal goods, consumers could support the livelihoods of farmers, stimulate the local economy, and at the same time contribute to maintaining ecological balance, she added.

Addressing the younger generation present at the event, she said “you are the generation that will experience the consequences of today’s choices – but also the generation that can change them. I hope that today’s event will inspire you and that you will become active citizens who will defend and respect our natural wealth.”