Potato farmers in Cyprus are facing steep income losses as severe water shortages hamper production, prompting calls for government compensation and policy reform.

An emergency meeting is scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Liopetri amphitheatre, where growers will discuss their next steps, according to potato growers’ representative Andreas Karyos. The group intends to request a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture to present their demands.

“Young farmers cannot survive because they don’t have the required production without water,” Karyos said. He highlighted that many younger growers risk losing subsidies, as they are unable to meet the minimum production thresholds of 60 decares and the annual increases required to remain eligible.

For older farmers, reduced water supplies have led to lower yields and declining incomes against a backdrop of rising costs. “The problem is significant as they are now forced to have reduced production and income decreases based on increased costs,” Karyos noted.

The crisis stems from drought conditions that have limited access to the southern pipeline, which had previously supplied water at a lower cost than borehole drilling.

Karyos also criticised the current compensation framework for extreme weather events, introduced in 2019 to replace the Agricultural Insurance Organisation system. He argued that the scheme’s restrictive criteria exclude potato farmers from support.

“We have been asking since 2019 for radical changes to the terms governing extreme weather phenomena,” he said. “The Agriculture Ministry cannot remain uninvolved.”

Farmers are bracing for continued water shortages over the next six months, with uncertainty extending into 2026 unless rainfall improves. Karyos urged growers to attend Wednesday’s meeting, where they will consider authorising protest action if the government fails to respond adequately.