Crops on Cyprus Destroyed by Extreme Cold

Unrelenting freezing temperatures in Cyprus have led to the destruction of vegetable and fruit crops. In Larnaca and Famagusta, farmers are scrambling to save their crops—potatoes, melons, and fruit trees.

According to Andreas Karios, a spokesperson for the potato producers' coordination organization, efforts to salvage the remaining crops have been ongoing 24/7 since Friday.

"Farmers are keeping an eye on the temperature, and as soon as it hits 1°C or 0°C, they start watering the crops until dawn," explained the agronomist.

However, not all crops can be watered in a single night, so farmers focus on saving the largest plants. In many parts of Cyprus, temperatures have plunged below freezing, destroying crops. Additionally, water often freezes, worsening the damage.

Andreas Karios thanked Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou and the Water Development Department (WDD) for ensuring a steady water supply at night and urged the WDD to open the valves an hour earlier to help save more crops.

According to Panikos Hambas, head of the Cyprus Farmers' Union (EKA), the recent frosts have affected crops throughout Cyprus. The full scale of the damage will become clearer over the next few days.