Potato Crop Cyprus affected by rain

Potato cultivation in a key area of Cyprus - an exporter of 'New Potatoes' to several European countries is - is seriously affected by rain storms.

In Cyprus Famagusta district, 80% of the potato crop has been destroyed by the latest storms, according to the Cyprus News Agency.

President of the Pancyprian Potato Growers Association, Andreas Karios visited affected fields in Avgorou said that “the rains have affected the winter crop, as well as the one planted 1,5 month ago.”

Andreas Karios:

“The rains have affected the winter crop, as well as the one planted 1,5 month ago.”

“There is now a great chance we will not be planting potatoes before February 10 as we normally do because 80% of our crop is exported to counties that want potatoes when they don’t have their own.”

Asked what happens next for potato growers, Karios said that the damage needs to be managed and, given that state support is also received, they will wait for next year to plant again.

Andreas Karios:

“After last year’s disaster, we took measures that mitigated much of the damage this year. However, we were taken advantage of by insurance employees who did not record the damages and we were left exposed.”

He expressed the hope that appraisers will be more compassionate to growers this year.

Eka farmers’ union representative Yiannakis Gavriel stated that the heavy rains have destroyed 80%, if not 100%, of potato crop in the Famagusta district.

Gavriel has urged potato growers to register their planted fields with the Department of Agriculture so that the damage can be evaluated.

Asked about last year’s compensation, Gavriel said:

“An advance has been paid out for October’s damage and the Agriculture Ministry have promised to pay the rest sometime in January.”