Farmers affected by foot-and-mouth disease continue to face complete uncertainty, according to a letter from agricultural organizations to the Minister of Agriculture, in which they call for the Minister’s immediate intervention and specific actions.
The agricultural organizations PEK, EKA, Panagrotikos, New Agricultural Movement, and Euroagrotikos sent a letter on Tuesday to the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Environment, Christos Senekis, noting that “approximately seven months have passed since the first case of foot-and-mouth disease was detected in the disease-free areas of the Republic of Cyprus. Unfortunately, to this day, the affected producers remain in a state of complete uncertainty regarding when and under what conditions they will be able to resume operations and return to their professional activities.”
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“We note with regret that this particular issue continues to be marked by significant delays and stagnation. This prolonged situation places an enormous financial and professional burden on the affected producers, who remain without a clear timeline and without the ability to reliably plan the future of their farms,” they state.
The delay in the resumption of operations by producers—and particularly by goat and sheep farmers—they note, will have broader consequences for the region’s livestock sector and rural economy. At the same time, they warn, there is a risk of losing the halloumi PDO designation.
As they state, “despite our repeated efforts and interventions to resolve the issue, there has been an unacceptable stalemate to date. The issue of how compensation for lost income will be paid is also a cause for particular concern.”
Although the Compensation Committee, they add, has unanimously decided on the method and procedure for paying this compensation, the implementation of the decision appears to be hindered by outstanding issues involving the Ministry of Finance.
As a result, the agricultural organizations state in their letter, the affected producers still do not know either the amount of compensation they are entitled to for their loss of income or when it will be paid.
This uncertainty, they note, makes it extremely difficult for them to plan financially and professionally, especially as they prepare to resume their activities, and creates a serious risk that they will be unable to meet their financial obligations when they are called upon to restart their operations.
They ask the Minister to proceed immediately and without further delay with all necessary actions, so that the affected producers are immediately and officially informed of the timeline and conditions for resuming operations, and so that producers are clearly notified of the amount of compensationto which they are entitled, as well as the method and timing of its payment.
“The affected producers have already endured an unprecedented economic and professional ordeal. It is unacceptable that, after seven months, they are still in a state of uncertainty regarding when they will be able to return to work and the amount of financial support to which they are entitled,” they conclude.
Source: KYPE
