2020 Cyprus Country Report

Agriculture & Food
Sector Profile
The government has recognised the budding
success of this sector and announced €23 million
would be made available to the local industry
through the National Viticulture Support
Programme for the period 2019-2023. Many
vineyards today are run by young entrepreneurial
Cypriots with solid training in viticulture and
oenology from famous winemaking regions such
as France, Italy and Australia. This along with the
establishment and promotional work of an association
of 11 leading Cypriot wineries – branded
the ‘ambassador wineries’ through the Evoinos
partnership programme – are definitely putting
Cyprus’ wine territory on the map for international
wine connoisseurs.
Showcasing the rich viticulture of the island,
Cyprus has created a wine trail project, offering
six different organised routes for visitors to
tour the island’s wine-producing regions. The
reputation of the annual Limassol Wine Festival,
launched in 1961, has also spread beyond the
country’s borders and attracts over 100,000 visitors
every August to the city’s municipal gardens
to discover the wine portfolios of one of the
world’s oldest wine-producing countries.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Climate change is undoubtedly one of the biggest
challenges facing Cyprus and the entire region,
and the agricultural sector has felt the effects first
hand. For example, €11.2 million in compensation
has been paid for damages suffered to certain
types of crops due to extreme weather conditions
– this figure exceeds by far the average compensation
of the last 20 years. This reality has placed
research at the heart of finding solutions to fight
the effects of global warming. To this end, Cyprus
along with 15 other countries has launched an
initiative to create a new climate change action
plan. The research and recording of relevant
measurements in the region will be led by the preeminent
and globally renowned research organisation
the Cyprus Institute (CyI), and the data
gathered combined with the scientific expertise
is expected to result in new ideas and solutions.
Currently there are around 55 research projects
in various stages of completion in Cyprus thanks
to the numerous research centres and universities
leading the way in innovation.
New trends in farming methods and produce
are helping to address another challenge that
Cypriot agriculture has long faced, the everincreasing
average age of farmers. Younger educated
people are now entering what is seen as a
cutting-edge sector and many also have the marketing
skills to make their agribusiness a success
– changing the image of farming. The University
of Central Lancashire (UCLan), the first British
university to establish a campus in Cyprus, now
offers a popular diploma programme in agriculture
and animal husbandry, and the numerous
private and university-led research projects and
initiatives are also enticing the younger generation
to explore opportunities in the sector.
Another interesting initiative is the recent legislation
allowing for the cultivation and trade of
medical cannabis. Apart from the benefits it would
bring patients – a number-one priority – it would
also bring a boost to the economic development
of the island, as well as attract significant foreign
investment for the entire production chain.
To promote the quality of Cyprus’ agricultural
products, the government has pushed to
register more PDOs and two other international
quality logos that attest to specific traditions
and qualities of food, agricultural products and
wines. Like the PDO, the PGI denotes a specific
link to a region’s product while the third logo, the
Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), highlights
a traditional production process. Cyprus
has five food products already registered as
PDOs, and four products have PGIs, with more
applications for both PDO or PGI certification in
the pipeline. In the wine category Cyprus boasts
the famous Commandaria, which is said to be the
earliest known wine brand in the world. In addition,
Zivania and Ouzo are potent alcoholic beverages
listed as PGI products since 2004. There
is growing interest to gain these unique badges
of quality because they bring added value to any
produce, especially as European consumers are
prepared to pay more for well-sourced food and
ingredients. Achieving more certifications for
Cypriot products is a good opportunity to help
rebrand Cyprus and its agricultural sector.
DIVERSIFICATION IS KEY
Cyprus is determined to become cleaner and
greener by adopting principles of sustainability,
and with increasing input from scientists and researchers
agriculture is diversifying with its boutique
wineries, aquaculture and farmers cultivating
nutritious and medicinal plants. Agri-tech
and smart farming methods are on the rise and
start-ups and research centres are working more
closely with farmers for fresh ideas to transform
agribusiness. With a winning mix of resilient
and resourceful farmers, increased government
support and cutting edge research, Cyprus agriculture
is experiencing a transformation that will
allow it to respond to the fast-changing trends in
the European market and to ultimately become a
more sustainable sector in the future. n
Discover more at www.cyprusprofile.com
54 Country Report CYPRUS 2020