Banana farmers in the Paphos district, Cyprus, are grappling with water shortages, threatening agricultural activities on the island. This topic was discussed during a recent meeting attended by various MPs and Akamas mayor Marinos Lambrou. Paphos banana farmers' association chairman, Moses Peyiotis, expressed that the current water allocation for irrigation in Paphos is inadequate to support banana plantations, describing the situation as having "reached the point of impossibility."
During the meeting, farmers highlighted financial concerns, with Koullis Theodosiou from Peyia mentioning that incomes are "shrinking," leading to "facing problems with survival." The potential for "dynamic measures" and protests was discussed as possibilities to address these issues.
Banana farmers have consistently highlighted the insufficiency of water levels, echoing sentiments voiced in January. At that time, Peyiotis urged governmental assistance to manage the challenging scenario, requesting continued water supplies to sustain their crops. Paphos district governor Charalambos Pittokopitis also called upon the central government to support banana farmers equitably with other agricultural sectors in Cyprus.
Droushia deputy mayor Sotiris Koupparis noted the severity of the situation, emphasizing that the complete impact of water shortages on banana farming remains unassessed.
Earlier this month, Paphos officials were discontented with the decision to exclusively use mobile desalination units from the United Arab Emirates in the Limassol district. Eventually, a mobile desalination unit was redirected to the village of Kouklia in Paphos.
Polis Chrysochous Mayor Yiotis Papachristofi has called for "long-term measures" to enhance water supply across Cyprus, advocating for the installation of "proper irrigation systems" to prevent water wastage and the construction of additional dams in Polis Chrysochous. He emphasized the need to enlarge existing dams to capture water during heavy rainfall, reducing volumes lost to the sea.
Previously, Charalambos Pittokopitis advocated for two new dams to mitigate future droughts, especially as the Paphos region faced exacerbated water shortages after the Mavrokolympos reservoir was drained in January for repairs. Furthermore, a fire in December obliterated a vital desalination plant between Mandria and Kouklia, further straining the district's water resources.
Source: CyprusMail
