Agricultural Problems In Cyprus

The backb one of Cyprus economic system when it achieved its independence was agriculture. The major section came from small farms and at convictions from subsistence farms. exportation of vegetables and takes were made possible by irrigation projects in the cardinal sixties. The demands for wine, meat and dairy products were met by commercialized farming.In the early nineteen cardinalties, the farms supplied ab discover seventy part of commodity exports and employed one third of the islands active population in spite of the fact that the farms were unperturbed overwhelmingly small1. However, the expansion of manufacturing and service vault of heaven take to a decline in the importance of agriculture.The get by of agricultures Gross municipal Product in the first half of the nineteen seventies amounted to 18 per centum.The northern Turkish Cypriot community was left in willpower of pastoral resources with the nineteen seventy quaternary de facto division of the isl and. It produced four-fifth of cereal and citrus tree wreaks, all of the tobacco and twain thirds of the green aliment.The south on the opposite hand retained the entire islands grape growing nations and deciduous return orchards. The south was as well in possession of about seventy five-spot part of the valuable potato molds and other vegetables and half of the islands olive trees. It also had sixty three share of its carob trees.Two thirds of the parentage population was also in the south. A large scale uncoordinated exchange of agricultural labor between the north and south was created by the Turkish concern of the region2. This led to agricultural un use of goods and services which was countered by government actions. Such government actions include assisting farmers financially under terms that would enable them to carry out their activities without frequently burden.By nineteen seventy eight, the number of individuals employed in the agricultural sector under g overnment controlled area constituted twenty dollar bill three percent of the working population. The agricultural sectors workforce however declined to 20.7 percent in nineteen seventy nine and 15.8 percent in nineteen fourscore seven3.Its contribution to the overall economy of the state also declined from 17.3 percent GDP in nineteen seventy six to ten point seven percent in nineteen seventy nine and a further seven point seven percent in nineteen xc eight4.This share was vital to the economy of the south. In nineteen eighty eight, value added in agriculture at constant nineteen cardinal five prices amounted to one hundred and twelve million-seven hundred thousand Cyprus pound.As the service sector increasingly became dominant in the economy of the Greek Cypriots, the share of agriculture in the national economy declined even further in the nineteen nineties. However, the affirmatory climate of the region and the availability of market owing to its location still mean that ag riculture will continue playing an important and abiding role in the overall economy.The irrigation projects set by the government, tax policies and subsidies back up the existence of farming as well as research in exotic crops and new varieties of the ones that already exist. The effort to improve agriculture, forestry and fishing was overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.This ministry was supported by Agricultural Research Institute, meteorologic Service, Department of Water Services, the Veterinary Service and the Department of Geological Survey5. both these departments worked together in formulation of policies that affect the sector.The government also support agriculture in addition to macroeconomic considerations since it offered the rural population employment which maintained village life and relieved urban crowding. Part time agricultural work also allowed the urban residents to maintain contact with their villages likewise offering them supple mental income.The contribution of agriculture to the national economy has steady declined. However, in the past decade it has stabilized between three and four percent6. In 2004, the contribution of agriculture to exports went up to twenty four percent which is the highest since nineteen ninety six. This is near the historical 30 four division average.The number of individuals employed in the agricultural sector has also declined remarkably. In 2005, only four point eight percent were employed in the agricultural sector as compared to about thirty percent in nineteen sixties.This portion is however higher(prenominal) for men at 5.7 percent than women at 3.7 percent7. Of this population, about are holders and family members while the remaining one out of five are employees. These numbers are larger in crop than in livestock sector. Since 2001, full time working equivalent has been round seven percent.In 2003, the gross agricultural output went up and remained steady by 2004. How ever, with regard to quantity, the crop output has been steadily go and is about eighty eight percent of what it used to be in nineteen ninety five.On the other hand, livestock output has been going up and now stands at above one-hundred percent of the nineteen ninety five figures. In 2004, prices were cardinal percent higher than in 1995 with the crop prices recording higher percentage points than livestock prices. Crop prices were between five to twenty percent higher even though the gap is being closed by livestock prices.Overview of agricultural and rural sector developmentCrop area consist of thirty percent permanent crop area and seventy percent temporary crop area. About forty to forty five percent of the total area hold cereals with fifteen to twenty percent of the total holding fodder crops which shows a accrue after a steady increase until two thousand8.Vine area has recorded a decrease from eighteen percent in nineteen ninety to eleven percent of the total in two thou sand and two. This was largely due to the incentives that were paid to farmers in an attempt to distract overproduction of vines.A small increase was exhibited by olives on olive crude production to eight percent of the total. Citrus recorded a decrease by one percent in the year two thousand but has then been stable. Three percent of the total area is assiduous by fresh fruits. Both the fresh fruits and citrus are solely irrigable. Uncultivated land remained relatively constant at between thirty five and forty percent of the total area.The most extreme variant was recorded by barley with thirty seven thousand lashings being produced in the year two thousand as compared with one-hundred and twenty eight thousand tons produced two days later. An average birth of two point four tons per hectare is represented by the 2002 production.The variance highlight Cyprus periodical water shortage and the annual weather changes. The falling grapes production represents the decrease in t he cultivated area. After a salient decrease in the year two thousand, the production of grape fruit has steadied.Generally, the production of citrus fruits has shown a gradual decrease since nineteen ninety but it has steadied to some extent during the past few years. extreme point fluctuations are not often recorded by potatoes but their ample share in agricultural output and exports implies that their fluctuation impacts greatly on agricultural economy.Olives have constantly increased to reach more than twenty seven thousand tons. This figure is twice what it was some few years ago. This can be attributed to the increase in irrigable land.