Farmers on state land granted another year: Cabinet extends deadline for licenses

The Cabinet of Ministers of Cyprus has extended by one more year the period during which farmers using state forest land must obtain valid licenses. The decision was taken to ensure that agricultural producers do not lose their entitlement to payments and subsidies.

It is noted that the deadline was shifted due to a sharp decline in the number of issued or renewed permits: while in 2023 a total of 1,257 licenses were granted out of a potential 1,495, in 2025 only 555 were issued, leaving hundreds of farmers at risk of losing support. This concerns, in particular, payments under the Single Area Payment scheme and compensations within the Risk Management Scheme.

At the same time, the authorities stress that this is the final extension. Those who fail to complete the documentation for 2026 may be excluded from subsidy programs for a long period. The Forestry Department is expected to launch an information campaign for farmers; among the conditions for obtaining a license are the absence of serious interventions on forest land, settlement of outstanding debts to the department, and confirmation of the right to or fact of cultivating the plot for those not listed in the registers.