Newsroom
Cypriot farmers are staring down a bleak future as a third consecutive year of drought wreaks havoc on their crops. Many now face tough decisions, with some fearing financial ruin as their fields dry up and their harvests fail.
In the western part of Nicosia, one of the hardest-hit regions, farmers describe a crisis unlike anything they’ve seen before. Wheat that should be waist-high barely reaches 10 centimeters. Olive trees and other crops are withering. Cactus plants have been attacked by pests, reportedly coming from the occupied areas. Fields once rich with produce are now cracked and barren, with farming equipment left unused for over a year due to the lack of water.
The situation is made worse by mounting expenses. Farmers are expected to pay taxes, loan installments, and buy fertilizers, but with no crops to sell, they have no way to cover costs. One farmer, struggling to hold back frustration, admitted he doesn’t remember a worse year. Another pointed out that while they received a small subsidy, it hardly makes a dent in their losses, leaving some to wonder if bankruptcy is inevitable.
With no irrigation water being provided and no relief in sight, the farming community is pleading for urgent support before the drought wipes out their way of life entirely.
