Cyprus’ Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved a revised strategy for the primary sector containing 11 actions, with the aim of increasing the contribution of the sector to the country's GDP.

In statements after the Cabinet meeting, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, said that the strategy includes 11 actions for the promotion of new technologies, for independence from weather conditions, the introduction of intelligent agriculture, attracting young farmers to the agricultural profession, ensuring a fair and stable income for farmers and especially professional farmers, and promoting high-quality products at affordable prices for consumers.

She also said that the strategy includes the promotion of actions to reduce the price gap between farmers and consumers, making the most of academic knowledge, promoting cooperation between groups of producers, supporting the main parties involved in the production of PDO and PGI products, promotion of financial instruments for favourable lending to farmers, making use of unexploited agricultural land, training farmers, simplifying procedures and services provided to farmers and in the study of crops, and steps to increase production with the available water resources as a key factor and the climate conditions of Cyprus.

"The strategy for the development of the primary sector comes at a critical moment for Cypriot agriculture, giving it the momentum it needs to put itself on a growth trajectory and increase its contribution to the country's GDP,” the Minister said, among other things.

She said that the strategy was the result of a dialogue with organised groups and stakeholders in the agricultural sector while the funding will come either through the Common Agricultural Policy, or through national resources.

The Minister noted, moreover, that the current €10 million investment programme which is open until the end of November falls under the actions of the strategy while the same applies, among other things for the “Agrocyprus” platform, which was launched a few days ago and aims to facilitate the trading of agricultural products in Cyprus.