Watermelon imports banned in the TRNC to protect local farmers

The Ministry of Agriculture in Northern Cyprus blocked a large shipment of watermelons from Iran at the port of Famagusta and sent it for disposal. Despite the importer having advance authorization for the import, the ministry took tough measures to support local agriculture.
The ministry explained that, under the rules, imports of similar products from third countries are completely stopped as soon as the harvest of Turkish Cypriot farmers begins to appear on the shelves. All long-term licenses issued earlier are automatically canceled at that point.
For consumers, this means that in the coming months only fresh locally produced watermelons will be sold in supermarkets and markets across the TRNC.