Newsroom
The Pancyprian Farmers' Union has accused the Ministry of Agriculture and the Water Development Department of failing to take decisive action to deal with the continuing shortage of irrigation water, warning that farmers are already seeing crops suffer.
Speaking to SPOR FM, the union's Secretary General, Tasos Yiapanis, said the government's approach lacks the political commitment needed to tackle the problem. He argued that irrigation planning should be reviewed annually rather than following a three-year schedule, saying shorter-term planning would better reflect changing conditions.
Yiapanis also referred to discussions with Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou, saying she had indicated the issue would be considered in September. He questioned delaying a decision, arguing that if there is a change in ministerial leadership before then, responsibility for the issue would simply pass to the next minister.
He also criticised the government's position that priority should be given to completing the desalination plant at Mazotos before taking further decisions on irrigation. According to Yiapanis, legal action launched by the local community could delay the project by five to six years.
The union official said current reservoir levels present an opportunity that should not be ignored. He pointed out that dams were around 40% full at the end of July, compared with 16% at the same time last year, while Agros experienced one of its heaviest rainfall events in recent years only weeks ago.
Yiapanis said the lack of irrigation water has already affected agricultural production, with some crops damaged or lost. He warned that citrus orchards do not have enough water to survive and produce fruit, while potato growers are also facing serious shortages.
