Paphos farmers have called off Monday’s planned protest over water shortages following an intervention by Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou.

According to the organisers of the protest, the minister contacted them personally and arranged a meeting next week to discuss the farmers’ complaints over the quantities of irrigation water they are due to receive this year.

The farmers had planned a protest on Monday morning to voice their concerns over the significantly reduced quantities of water expected to be made available for irrigation this summer.

The planned gathering was to take place on the road to Paphos airport, at the junction with the old Paphos-Limassol road.

According to the producers, the quantities of water to be allocated to them are less than the already reduced quantities they received last year. They say the Water Development Department seeks to maintain water reserves in the reservoirs, which directly affects agriculture in the Paphos district.

Farmers highlight a serious risk of crop destruction, stressing that the situation has reached breaking point.