The current financial instrument for the implementation of the wine policy until 2027 is the strategic plan of Cyprus for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Xenophontos said in his welcome speech at the second wine and Zivania exhibition in Koli. Apart from financial contribution from European funds, the strategic plan of Cyprus contains the whole philosophy and strategy for the wine sector, he explained.

Welcoming the event, he said the ministry encourages all wine producers to hold such events that honour local products. “We are ready to support the primary sector of the economy with all that this entails,” he said.

Interventions to support the wine sector include, among other things, the restructuring and conversion of wine producing vineyards with varieties that may enjoy greater acceptance in the wine market and the linear underpinning of wine producing vineyards for better vegetation and production management purposes. Construction and repair of traditional dry-stone walls, which are a key architectural feature of vineyards where there are soil slopes and erosion, and investments to modernise and improve the visibility of wineries are also among the support measures according to the minister. Taking into account, he said, that similar amounts were invested in the sector during the 2019 – 2023 period, “I believe all the necessary tools are systematically provided for the substantial improvement of the competitiveness of our country’s wine products.”

For his part, the mayor of Koilis, Michael Efthymiou, noted that 11 wineries of the Paphos District participated in the 2nd Wine and Zivania Exhibition, which aims to promote the products of the region. Their aim, he said, is to promote the products of wine and zivania and consequently the grapes, which last year there was a problem with some quantities left in the vineyards.

The importance of the event was also highlighted by the community mayor of Kallepia, Nikos Savvidis. “We are a region with wine, with vineyards and we want to promote the product of the region,” he said. He also expressed the hope that “the government’s policy will change and support the wineries and the wine that has been unsold in recent years.”

The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of Cyprus and Italy started this year after it was approved by the European Commission. It is designed to shape the transition to a sustainable, resilient and modern European agricultural sector. Under the reformed policy, funding will be more fairly distributed among farms, with an emphasis on small- and medium-sized farms, as well as young farmers.

Source: Cyprus Mail