BANANA producers are appealing to the government for compensation, with an expected 700 tons of bananas due to be dumped because of continued over-production in the sector, a farming union official said yesterday.
Panayiotis Leonidas of the Cyprus Farmers Union (EKA) described the situation as a “serious agricultural mass wastage” and argued the problem was at the fault of the government.
“Everything is the government’s fault; we need them to help us every year, and the farmers’ union support this. The government has already helped most fruit producers, such as apple and apricot producers by giving them ten cents per kilo of wastage. Now, we want something similar.”
But the director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Antonis Constantinou, disagreed. He said the government had helped apple and apricot producers in the past at a time of temporary over production, and stressed that banana producers had also been given similar compensation in the past.
“The government can help ease the pressure on the market by financially assisting producers who temporarily over-produce, but not those who permanently over-produce.”
Leonidas blamed the “crisis” on the import of foreign produce onto the Cyprus market, damaging sales of local bananas. He said that if there were fewer bananas on the market from foreign imports, members of the public would buy more Cypriot bananas, which would help the situation.
But Constantinou said the government couldn’t limit the supply of foreign produce, as that would breach the international trading laws.
“You don’t solve the problem by stopping imports. The government can only raise tariffs on imports.
“The import tax is already 70 per cent, plus £350 per ton, which in some cases is taxed as one pound per kilo.
“It is expensive already.”
But Constantinou added: “It may happen that when the banana producers officially apply, if we are convinced, then we may suggest temporary compensation to the ministerial committee. I stress that we have helped banana producers in the past.”
But speaking at Nicosia’s Ochi Square market yesterday, trader Christos Pozotos disagreed with claims that imported bananas had affected sales of the Cypriot product. “You can see that on average Cypriot bananas sell at 40 cents per kilo on the stalls. Tourists and Cypriots buy these bananas rather than the ones from Spain because they are cheaper, sweeter and smell better.” And he added: “Columbian bananas cost £1.49 per kilo in the supermarkets and only the rich people buy these. They are much longer, but they don’t taste like our bananas.”
Nicosia resident Dinos Kondas agreed. “I don’t buy foreign bananas as they are expensive. All you would be buying is the size, not the taste or smell, which does not even exist.”
Last year, banana plantations in Paphos produced 1,500 tons of the crop. Leonidas admitted that farmers had to grow more to compensate for possible weather damage. The weather was perfect for a good banana crop last year, hence the massive surplus.
Constantinou could not say how long banana producers would have to wait for the government to take a decision about compensation.
He stressed there had to be “a full investigation first before any action will be taken”.
