FARMERS in the Famagusta district are threatening to take action in protest at the latest increases in fuel prices.
The threats come after angry protests on Sunday by residents of mountain villages protesting against the increased price of heating fuel.
The price increase has also sparked fury among potato farmers, who claim the rise in prices will destroy them.
Farming representatives from the SEK and PEO unions yesterday blasted the price rises and warned they would take serious measures.
Andreas Karios of PEO said any increase in farming costs further reduced potato farmers’ precarious chances of survival.
“There are no wages in potato farming, we fight with the soil and our income depends on the weather and soil conditions and competition from abroad.
“It’s like they’re telling us to quit, like they’re kicking us out of our profession, and we can’t change profession and go to some hotel as waiters.”
Karios said the new price hike would mean that farmers would be wiped out, because they would not be able to compete with other markets in the EU.
“We are not government employees with a monthly salary. Potato prices will remain the same or decrease,” he said.
“So we have a meeting on Wednesday in Liopetri, at which we will decide what measures to take, but I can predict that people will be on the streets again.
“We want the public to show us some understanding, because we are being forced to abandon our livelihoods and we will not be the only ones paying the price but also the whole of the island will as well in the end.”
George Mouttas of SEK told the Cyprus Mail that the price of fuel would expel farmers from the local and international markets.
“Because we live in a dry and warm climate, it plays an important role in determining the cost of production, so with every increase in fuel prices, our competitiveness decreases,” he said.
“From 1999 until today, the increase in fuel prices has been more than 50 per cent. This year’s price rise is 15 per cent, but the potato farmers’ income has not risen to those levels.
“We believe the government has a lot of plans to support the agricultural sector and their decisions must coincide with the policy that they have proclaimed, because if they don’t we are on the road to bankruptcy.
Mouttas called on the government to take steps to introduce subsidies for farmers or balancing measures so that farmers did not shoulder the effects of the price rise.
Mouttas said agricultural organisations would meet tomorrow night to decide what measures to take against the decision.
“On Wednesday we will have a district meeting of all the farming organisations where we will examine the issues and problems arising from the increase in fuel prices and we will decide on what measures to take,” he said.
“The final decision will be taken then.”
On Sunday, residents of the Pitsilia mountain area blocked roads leading to Troodos for over two hours in protest at last week’s decision to raise heating fuel prices, which they say will now cost them around £300 a month.
Police had to intervene when furious drivers waiting in long queues began to react against the blockade, but residents warned their measures would escalate if the government failed to deal with the problem.
