€85m for farmers from agricultural payments body in 2021

The Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation (CAPO) has paid a total of €1.86 billion to farmers since 2004, of which €1.1 billion or 59% was from EU funds. This year, CAPO expects payments to total €85 million, according to commissioner Andreas Kyprianou.

Kyprianou was speaking after handing over CAPO’s annual report for 2020 to President Nicos Anastasiades.

During his meeting, Kyprianou briefed the president on the organisation’s action plan, the need to restructure so that it can become even more effective and his vision for it to become one of the most effective such bodies in the European Union.

Officials will be visiting agricultural areas to brief farmers on how to correctly fill their applications, as well as about the EU’s new common agricultural policy (CAP).

The aim is to inform farmers about the grants offered so that use of EU funds can be maximised, he said.

Kyprianou also briefed the president on efforts to improve CAPO’s IT systems so that it is a position to meet the increased technological demands of the new CAP, cut red tape, increased efficiency, offer better services to farmers and ensure transparency.

Source: Cyprus Mail