Officials warn this year's vineyards productivity is limited

This year can not be described as productive as regards grapes for wine production, head of the Viticulture and Oenology Section of the Department of Agriculture, Georgios Neophytou,recently told CNA.

In addition, farmers' associations have said that this year's production has suffered a lot due to the prolonged heat.

Neophytou said that this year's production can in no way be compared to last year's overproduction. Explaining that the Department does not make predictions due to various factors that affect production until the last minute, he said that it estimates however that this was a medium year for production. 

He added that 70,000 decares of wine-producing vineyards are registered in the viticultural register of the Department of Agriculture and that the vineyards with table varieties are around 3,800 decares.

Neophytou said that wineries receive on average in recent years about 15-16 million kilos of grapes. He also said that in 2022, approximately 3.6 million kilos of table grapes were produced for consumption.

Based on data and estimates of the Department of Agriculture, he said, it appears that the vast majority of the wine produced goes to the Cypriot market, while a very small amount, around 1-2%, goes to EU markets and third countries.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Union of Cypriot Farmers (EKA) Panicos Hambas told CNA that vine-growers have already indicated to the Department of Agriculture that this year's production has suffered due to extreme weather conditions.

He said that vine growers have expressed concerns about the effects of unpredictable and extreme weather conditions, pointing out that high temperatures seem to have affected plants and therefore production.

Furthermore, he said that when harvest is completed, it is expected that a meeting will be held with the Department of Agriculture, to present them with the exact data on the effects of the heat wave on viticultural production. 

Meanwhile, according to information from the Department of Agriculture, approximately €21 million is expected to be granted to the wine sector for the five-year period 2019-2023. In addition, through two five-year Support Programs that Cyprus had secured for the periods 2009-2013 and 2014-2018, approximately €41.7 million were provided from financial resources of the EU.

(Source: CNA)