Two emergency financial support plans for professional farmers and agricultural businesses, totaling €1,501,200, to address the effects of the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East and, in particular, the increased cost of fuel and fertilizers, were approved yesterday by the Council of Ministers upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment.
As stated in a press release from the Ministry, the support is provided under the European Commission’s Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1894, through which emergency financial support was made available to Cyprus for farmers facing specific problems that affect their economic viability due to the crisis in the Middle East. Both projects are 100% funded by European resources.
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Specifically, an emergency aid plan was approved to address the increased cost of “colored” agricultural diesel, with a total budget of up to €800,000, which was purchased by professional farmers and agricultural businesses during the period from April 1 through October 31, 2026, and will not exceed €0.126 per liter. The maximum subsidy amount per beneficiary is set at €5,000, while the minimum amount is €100.
At the same time, it is reported that an emergency aid plan was approved to address the increased cost of purchasing fertilizers, with a total budget of up to €701,200.
The aid, it is noted, will amount to 15% of the eligible value of the invoices, excluding VAT, for fertilizer purchases made during the period from June 1 through October 31, 2026. The maximum subsidy amount per beneficiary is €5,000, while the minimum is €100.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, beneficiaries of the two programs are professional farmers and agricultural enterprises that meet the specified eligibility criteria. The aid will be disbursed by the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization (KOAP).
For the fuel cost support program, beneficiaries must, among other things, hold a license to use “colored” diesel and have received “colored” agricultural diesel during the eligible period.
For the fertilizer cost support program, beneficiaries must, among other things, be registered in the relevant categories of the Register of Farmers and Agricultural Holdings and submit the required, paid invoices for fertilizer purchases.
The application period is scheduled to run from November 2 through November 16, 2026. The exact procedure and submission details will be included in the program announcement.
Please note that if the total amount of applications exceeds the available budget, a proportional reduction in aid will be applied to beneficiaries, in accordance with the provisions of the programs.
This new measure follows the package of measures announced on March 26, 2026, to address the impacts of the energy crisis and increased production costs. That package included support for professional farmers to cover 15% of the cost of purchasing fertilizers and agricultural supplies for the months of April and May 2026.
The Ministry concludes that the Government continues to utilize available national and European tools to support farmers and mitigate the impact of increased production costs.
Source: CNA
