Farmers warn of action

POTATO FARMERS have given the government just 13 days to meet their demands or face mass demonstrations.

The move comes after a government decision to up diesel prices by two cents a litre, a decision seen as a last straw by farmers, who say they were facing bankruptcy in their already fragile businesses.

In a meeting of agricultural organisations in Liopetri this week, farmers warned the government they would block roads leading to Nicosia with combine harvesters and tractors.

The farmers’ demands include the amendment of a relevant government plan involving the restructuring of the potato farming industry, the modernisation of the technical infrastructure used in the production and export of potatoes, a reduction of agricultural fuel by seven cents to 13 cents a litre. The farmers also demand that the government freeze electricity and water prices and implement compensation schemes for farmers wanting to leave the profession, as well as a drop in government and forest land.

But Agriculture Minister Timis Efthymiou warned the farmers yesterday the government would not take any threats or blackmail.

Efthymiou said the potato farming sector would be subsidised with a sum of 150 million euros, included in the Agricultural Development Plan, and stressed that farmers would not benefit on the demise of other sectors.

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