Filenews 26 May 2021 - by Dora Christodoulou
What wine companies have been warning about for months, winegrowers, agricultural organisations and other bodies in Paphos have confirmed is official. The poor situation in the wine industry as a result of the pandemic and the vertical decline in the turnover of most companies has contributed to the forced decision now of all wine industries, large and smaller, not to receive harvest grapes this year 2021, in order to be able to manage the huge stocks already accumulated in their storage areas.
The SODAP-Kamanterena winery was the first to formalise this development, pointing out in a communication that the pandemic and the consequent reductions in commercial activity result in the accumulation of large stocks in the tanks of the Kamanterena winery and the lack of available spaces. Therefore, and in view of the difficult conditions prevailing at the moment, it stresses, the SODAP announces to its wine-growing shareholders that it will not be able to receive grapes from the 2021 harvest.
Similar actions were followed by the other two major wineries of the region, KEO and LOEL, and smaller wineries.
The agricultural organisations and winegrowers who had attended have been informed of this development, it says, following the meeting held on 21 April at the Kammanterena Winery in Stroubi.
"A letter has also been sent to the Minister of Agriculture from the three major wine companies of Cyprus, SODAP, LOEL and KEO, in which we call for an increase in the green harvest envelope and the inclusion of all regardless of varieties, as well as the finding of other plans or alternatives for disposing of existing stocks," the communication said.
