Cypriot farmers face rising potato export prices due to Middle East war

Cypriot potato producers are reporting serious export problems due to the conflict in the Middle East. According to farmers' representative Andreas Karios, the cost of shipping products abroad has risen sharply, reducing profits and creating uncertainty for producers.

According to him, in addition to more expensive transportation, there are also delivery delays that could negatively affect supplies to European countries, including Austria, Belgium, and Germany. There, supermarkets purchase Cypriot potatoes as part of special programs and sell them from April to June, until the local harvest begins.

Farmers fear that if they cannot deliver products on time, European chains may remove Cypriot potatoes from these programs, and getting them back on the shelves later will be difficult.

Additional problems were caused by the weather. Heavy rains are making it difficult to harvest the early crop, and wind and sea salt have damaged some fields in the Ormideia, Xylofagou, Liopetri, and Sotira areas.

According to Karios, a lot of small potatoes, which are in demand in both the domestic and foreign markets, are ready in the fields, but due to weather conditions, it is currently impossible to harvest them.

Farmers also hope that the forecasted rains will fall mainly in the Troodos mountains to fill the reservoirs. In the last two years, due to water shortages, agricultural producers have received almost no water from the reservoirs, which has already led to a reduction in planting areas.

Harvest delays could lead to higher potato prices in both the domestic and export markets. Farmers expect the government to return to discussing industry support measures, which were previously suspended due to the foot-and-mouth disease crisis.