Food security, climate change, and environmental protection will be among the top priorities of the new Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, Christos Senekis, who also identified strengthening the competitiveness of the primary sector and supporting rural communities as his ministry’s highest long-term priorities.
Speaking on Thursday during the handover ceremony at the Ministry of Agriculture, the new Minister acknowledged that the Ministry is “at the forefront of critical challenges”, describing the continuous strengthening of the competitiveness of the primary sector and the provision of substantial support to people in rural areas as a top and enduring priority.
On her part, outgoing Minister, Maria Panayiotou, stated that she is leaving the Ministry of her own volition, whilst presenting a detailed account of her work over the last 30 months on water policy and agriculture, forests, PDO halloumi, waste management and the Akamas Peninsula. She also said that these achievements were due to two reasons, naming as first the fact that she was “part of a government that puts people first”, and as a second reason, the staff of the Ministry.
The new Minister’s top priorities
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On taking up his post, Senekis stated that he was assuming this role ‘with a deep sense of honour but also with full awareness of the responsibility’, thanking the outgoing Minister, Maria Panayiotou, for her contribution and her work.
As he noted, ‘every government has institutional continuity, and every legacy forms the basis on which we build the future’, adding that ‘Ms Maria Panayiotou’s legacy is both significant and valuable’.
The new Minister underlined that the Ministry is ‘at the forefront of critical challenges’, emphasizing food security, tackling the consequences of climate change and protecting the environment are top priorities. At the same time, he noted that ‘the highest and long-standing priorities are the continuous strengthening of the competitiveness of the primary sector and the provision of substantial support to people in rural areas.’
He added that the sustainability of agriculture, livestock farming and fisheries, as well as the protection of the natural environment are directly linked to the quality of life, economic development and the country’s resilience in the face of contemporary challenges.
Senekis also stated that, guided by the President of the Republic’s government programme, he would work ‘with consistency, transparency, determination and a spirit of cooperation’, expressing his belief in meaningful dialogue with farmers, livestock farmers, fishermen, agricultural and environmental organisations, the scientific community, local authorities and all relevant stakeholders.
‘The best solutions emerge through dialogue, cooperation, evidence-based decision-making and mutual trust,’ he said.
Addressing the staff of the Ministry and its departments and services, the new Minister acknowledged their knowledge, experience and dedication, and expressed his hope for close cooperation, with the shared aim of serving citizens effectively and implementing the necessary policies.
In conclusion, he assured that he would work “with consistency, transparency, good governance and a commitment to the public interest’ so that, as he put it, “at the end of the journey, we can all say that we have contributed, each in our own way, to stronger primary production, a better-protected environment and a more resilient and sustainable homeland.”
‘I am stepping down of my own volition’
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On her part, outgoing Minister, Maria Panayiotou, wished Senekis every success in his new role and noted that this is one of the most challenging Ministries in the Republic, the challenges of which require dialogue, perseverance, patience and, above all, ‘the courage not to sweep them under the carpet but to resolve them at any cost’.
She noted that ‘this is what I did in the case of the (fire fighting) aircraft, where an investigation into possible criminal offences is currently underway; this is what I did in the case of Akamas, where, despite the backlash, we went ahead with the redesign; this is what I did on the issue of waste, where, under the guidance of JASPERS (Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions), we are already moving forward with upgrading the infrastructure; this is what we did with regard to foot-and-mouth disease where the restructuring of the livestock sector is underway”. She also stated that she is stepping down from the Ministry of her own volition.
She added that she is handing over a Ministry in which ‘the long-standing problems we inherited were brought to the fore, discussed openly and tackled through concrete action’, whilst ‘many have already been resolved and the remainder are already on track to be resolved through a specific timetable and set of actions’. At the same time, she noted that the governance programme relating to the Ministry had been implemented ‘in its entirety’.
She particularly referred to water policy, noting that she had taken over the Ministry ‘in the midst of a water crisis’ and that, within two and a half years, a pound 170 million strategy had been drawn up for new desalination infrastructure, reducing water losses and boosting water production. As she said, ‘with these projects, Cyprus is on track to meet 100 per cent of its water supply needs by 2027’, whilst also referring to the resumption of dam maintenance, subsidies for projects to reduce water losses, the creation of a grant scheme for small-scale desalination units, and water-saving measures. She noted that ‘of the eight mobile desalination projects, four are operational; a further desalination plant will be brought online this autumn, and two more by 2027. According to the information I received from the Water Authority, with these projects, Cyprus is on track to meet 100 per cent of its water supply needs by 2027″.
With regard to the Department of Forests, she noted that public expenditure rose from pound 48.2 million in 2021 to pound 81.7 million in 2025, marking an increase of almost 70 per cent. She referred to the reopening of the Cyprus Forestry College and the expansion of the fire service fleet to 135 vehicles, whilst noting that in 2025 they awarded contracts to the National Guard for 11 aircraft and for the purchase of three privately owned aircraft. She also said that they had implemented controlled burning and controlled grazing with subsidies for the first time, adding that ‘the legal framework for the prevention and tackling of fires has been tightened, with penalties of up to twelve years’ imprisonment and fines of pound 100,000″.
Regarding the primary sector, Maria Panayiotou said that of the eleven actions in the strategy, ‘ten are already being implemented, whilst the eleventh is in the process of being implemented’. She also outlined the initiatives to subsidise investment in renewable energy sources, the operation of the ekofini and Agro Cyprus platforms, the establishment of Farmers’ Offices, the largest investment call for proposals worth pound 67.5 million, as well as the significant increase in the number of registered professional farmers in the Farmers’ Register.
Referring to PDO halloumi, she stated that the government had worked towards two objectives: to maintain it as the main agri-food export product and to safeguard the PDO, which drives exports. In this context, she noted that the production of goat’s and sheep’s milk had been boosted, compliance checks had been tightened, specialised software had been developed to record milk volumes, and a research programme was currently underway to detect milk powder in PDO halloumi.
CNA/MIR/MK/2026S, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY