Dutch royals visit potato fields in Cyprus, highlight agricultural ties

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King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, right, and Queen Maxima, walk in a potato field during their visit in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, center left, and Queen Maxima, center right, talk with Cyprus’ minister of agriculture Maria Panayiotou, left, during their visit a potato field in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, left, and Queen Maxima stand in a potato field during their visit in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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Netherlands’ Queen Maxima stands in a field plant potato during a visit in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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Queen Maxima, center, of Netherlands shakes hand with a potato farmer Andreas Ttofallis during a visit at a potato field in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, second right, and Queen Maxima, right, and Cyprus’ minister of agriculture Maria Panayiotou, center, talk with farmer during their visit to a potato field in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, center right, and Queen Maxima, center, stand in a potato field during a visit their in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, greets as they leave with Queen Maxima, from the potato fields during their visit in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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Queen Maxima of Netherlands exists from a car she’s arrives at potato fields during a visit, in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

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Queen Maxima of Netherlands is seen in a car as she’s arrives at potato fields during a visit, in Xylophagou village, Cyprus, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima toured a Cypriot potato field and a production facility Tuesday during a visit to the Mediterranean island nation.

The visit featured a long tour of the farm and facility in Xylophagou and Liopetri, respectively, in the island’s renowned potato-growing region.

Potatoes are Cyprus’ third biggest agricultural export and Cyprus imports about three quarters of all its potato seeds from the Netherlands, according to Cypriot Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou.

Cypriot potato exports to the Netherlands are modest, amounting in the first half of last year at around 200,000 kilograms (441,000 pounds) at a value of 250,000 euros ($263,500).

But Panayiotou said spuds are hopefully the start of a more-in-depth relationship with the Netherlands in the agricultural sector, particularly how Cyprus can glean specialized know-how from Dutch experts on advanced technology including smart irrigation systems.

That’s important for often drought-hit Cyprus which is increasingly relying on desalination plants to meet its water demands.

Panayiotou said she’ll visit the Netherlands in June to work out a roadmap on transferring that Dutch agricultural know-how to Cyprus.

The royal couple complete their two-day visit on Wednesday.