Opposition blasts agriculture minister over farmers, ’ compensation
Opposition MPs criticized Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou for refusing to compensate farmers who used waste material other than compost as fertilizer. The minister cited a legal opinion from the attorney-general stating that compensation is only awarded to farmers who used compost with specific specifications. The MPs argued that the farmers were being “victimized” for purchasing off-specification compost from a company listed as an approved seller on the ministry website. The minister refused to break the law and insisted on following legal procedures.