Young men and women who have been informed about the prospects of the primary sector have responded in large numbers, said the President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, tonight.
Speaking to reporters as he arrived at the Agricultural Culture Festival in Protaras, the President of the Republic said that “I am here to honor this region, a remote area of Cyprus that contributes in many ways to our country’s GDP, a region in which we are making significant investments, and which holds enormous potential that we are working with the Municipality to fully realize.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
I am here to honor the farming community; I am here because I truly believe in the prospects of the primary sector in our country. In particular, I am here to send a message to the younger generation that it is worthwhile to pursue a career in the primary sector.
As a government, we support young people who wish to pursue careers in this sector. I am pleased that we have seen results so far, and we want to clearly encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the primary sector.
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We are well aware that in the past, the primary sector made a significant contribution to the country’s GDP; but over the past 20–30 years we have seen a downward trend, and we are here to reverse that trend—and there truly are opportunities, prospects, and there are European tools that the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization is utilizing with great success—an organization I would like to publicly commend for the work they are doing— so that we can bring more young people into the agricultural world, into the primary sector.”
When asked about the results of this government effort to encourage young people to enter the sector, the President of the Republic said that “We are encouraged by the results so far; we are seeing young men and women returning to the primary sector because they see opportunities there. What we need to do is move in two directions, and that is what we are doing.
The first is to inform young people about these opportunities. We’ve seen a massive response from those who have been informed.
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The second is that we are not here simply to respond to challenges such as foot-and-mouth disease, water supply, and irrigation. We are here not only to address challenges, but also to take the lead, to encourage the younger generation to get involved in the primary sector. And I sincerely believe that there are tremendous prospects.”
When asked about the Festival, which is taking place for the tenth time this year, the President of the Republic said that “it has been a success, which is why it has become an institution, and I am certain it will continue to take place.”
