The Council of Ministers decided on Thursday to make available €4.6 million to support farmers adversely affected by measures to contain the spread of Covid-19.
In an announcement following a Cabinet meeting on Thursday morning that also saw announcements for education and culture, airports, support to small businesses and state guarantees for loans, Education Minister Costas Kadis said that the exact amount to be allocated to each affected group of farmers will be defined in detail in the coming days.
Following evaluation of the impact of the crisis on each group of agricultural workers, the Ministry decided that the scheme will cover the following:
- Sheep and goat breeders, due to the drop in demand for animals and the reduced price of meat.
- Vine growers, due to the reduced demand for wine grapes as a result of the low consumption of Cypriot wine resulting from the closure of hotels, restaurants and other food service businesses.
- Producers of vegetables, fresh herbs and strawberries, due to limited demand and to manage the risk of unknown future demand for their products.
- Florists and especially growers of cut flowers and seasonal potted plants, as well as nursery owners, due to the destruction of their products that were not sold.
- Producers who sold their products at farmers markets and for nearly two months did not have an alternative way to sell them.
- Citrus fruit growers with late varieties of oranges due to difficulties in harvesting and marketing.
- Farmers who irrigate plots in areas outside the Government Water Works and therefore did not benefit from the first support package for the agricultural sector that subsidised water for farmers and decided the non-disconnection of water supply for unpaid bills.
Kadis clarified that should a small agricultural business also be eligible for the small businesses special allowance as announced today by the Finance Minister, then one of the two support packages should be selected to prevent double funding.
