Potato farmers issue cry for help as costs continue to rise

Calling for a meeting with the president, potato farmers on Tuesday said they will no longer be able to carry on planting their crop because of the continued increases in the price of oil and fertiliser.

“Potato farmers have no money to subsidise the product since the cost cannot be passed on to the consumer. With the costs that exist due to constant increases in the prices of oil, fertilizers and others, farmers can no longer afford to work,” president of the organising committee of potato farmers Andreas Karyos said.

On Monday, agricultural organisations met MPs to discuss the problem and suggest measures that can be taken to solve it.

If the meeting with the president does not take place, the organising committee will discuss further measures, Karyos said.

They had already had a meeting with the agriculture minister and were not satisfied with the monetary compensation offered, he said. It will not be enough for their survival, Karyos added.

The cost of export has also seen an increase, Karyos said. “After the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the increases in oil, potatoes transported in refrigerated containers take one to one and a half months to reach European countries”.

The cost to transport the potatoes is also spiralling.

Karyos said 80 per cent of Cyprus potato production was exported to Europe between March and June.