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Panayiotou stresses need to tackle drought in agriculture at EU Council

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 26, 2024

Minister for Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou, talked about the effects of drought on Cyprus, as well as the measures that the EU can take to support the agricultural sector across Europe, and presented the recent joint statement by the MED9 on the issue, during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the EU held in Brussels.

During a discussion on the state of agricultural markets in the EU, Panayiotou referred to the significant impact that a prolonged drought has had on Cyprus, resulting in significantly reduced yields for irrigated and non-irrigated crops, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment said in a press release on Wednesday.

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The Minister, the press release adds, “pointed out that, due to limited water availability in dams, water supply for agricultural purposes has been reduced by 33.7% for 2024, while the forecasts for the following years are not favourable.”

Panayiotou called on the European Commission to activate the agricultural reserve to provide support to affected farmers, but also to further simplify support measures related to water management under the Common Agricultural Policy.

During the meeting, the Minister also presented the joint statement on the impact of drought on the primary sector, which was issued by the Ministers of Agriculture of the nine Mediterranean EU Member States (MED9) during a recent meeting in Cyprus.

Panayiotou referred specifically to the need for a collective response to this phenomenon that threatens food production and the social fabric of rural areas in the EU and pointed out that the joint statement reflects the practical commitment of the Mediterranean Member States to find solutions that will allow sustainable water management and will be included in EU policies.

According to the press release, the joint communication of the MED9 received the support of other Member States, in addition to the countries that had signed it in Cyprus.

During a working lunch, Professor Peter Strohschneider presented his report on the results of the strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture, which was presented in early September at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Panayiotou said she supports the need to further target support for farmers, with a focus on small and medium-sized farms and young farmers, as mentioned in the report. She also stressed the importance of promoting new technologies and innovation in agricultural production.

She also noted that the proposal to create two funds independent of the CAP, such as the fair transition fund and the nature restoration fund, should not limit appropriations which will be available through the next CAP in the future.

The Agriculture Minister said that Cyprus agrees with the proposed reform of the agricultural reserve, pointing out the need for a more flexible crisis management framework that will provide adequate support to farmers and allow for faster and simplified procedures, adapted to local needs and specificities.

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Amazon Says It Has Enough Satellites To Begin Initial Leo Internet Service This Year

Amazon says its low Earth orbit internet business, Leo, has reached an important milestone, with enough satellites now in orbit to begin initial commercial service later this year.

Reaching A Critical Threshold

The company launched 29 additional satellites shortly after 12:30 a.m. ET on Thursday aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, bringing its constellation to more than 390 satellites.

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According to Chris Weber, Amazon Leo’s vice president of business and product, that is enough to provide continuous service across the first coverage areas. Amazon began offering an enterprise preview to selected businesses in November but has yet to launch the service for consumers or government customers.

The milestone moves Amazon closer to becoming a meaningful competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink in the rapidly growing satellite broadband market.

Building Coverage, One Launch At A Time

The initial rollout will cover only selected regions, with future launches expanding both capacity and geographic reach as the constellation grows.

Unlike traditional broadband networks, satellite internet depends on several elements progressing together, including satellite production, launch availability, orbital deployment and ground infrastructure.

Catching Up With Starlink

Amazon still has considerable ground to make up. While the company announced the project in 2019, SpaceX began building Starlink in 2015 and has since deployed around 10,000 satellites, serving more than 10 million customers worldwide.

Amazon ultimately plans to deploy roughly 7,700 satellites, but progress has been slowed by limited launch capacity. Earlier this year, the company asked regulators to extend deployment deadlines, citing industry-wide shortages of available rockets.

Although Amazon secured launch agreements with ULA, Arianespace, Blue Origin and later SpaceX, several providers have experienced delays. One setback came in May, when Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot-fire test just days before it was scheduled to launch Amazon satellites.

Next Phase Of Deployment

Amazon’s next Leo mission will use ULA’s Vulcan rocket, which can carry larger payloads and help accelerate deployment. Melissa Wuerl, Leo’s director of launch systems, said the company already has hundreds of flight-ready satellites at Cape Canaveral, along with dedicated production facilities to support a faster launch cadence.

“We have a clear path to increase launch and deployment cadence,” Wuerl said, adding that Amazon intends to expand network coverage rapidly once commercial service begins later this year.

For Amazon, reaching the 390-satellite mark represents more than another successful launch. It marks the transition from building the network to bringing it into commercial operation as the company attempts to challenge Starlink’s early lead in the satellite internet market.