The “headache” caused by foot-and-mouth disease shows no signs of abating, with tensions flaring up again and livestock farmers preparing new protests. The cause is the significant delays in compensation payments to four affected farms, as well as the stagnation in the farmers’ efforts to resume operations.
“No compensation has been paid. Since we have written promises that aren’t being fulfilled, you can understand that we have to do something. Our last resort is certainly protests.”
Neophytos Neophytou – President of the “Voice of Livestock Farmers” Organization
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The issue was also raised today at a meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Veterinary Services, during which the director of the Veterinary Services clarified that the delay is due to legal complications that are arising.
Specifically, the Veterinary Services identified illegal animal movements, which is blocking compensation for livestock farmers following recommendations from the Legal Service. The Director of Veterinary Services requested further clarification to decide whether or not to grant the compensation.
However, according to information from Alpha, the Ministry of Agriculture has given Christodoulos Pipis until the end of next week to provide all the necessary responses, with the aim of compensating the livestock farmers even at this late stage.
“For more than six months now, someone who no longer has a business, has no wages, and has no income—as a result, they don’t know what to do. People are living on borrowed money; they’re in a dire situation, and no one cares.”
Neophytos Neophytou
The Nightmare Is Back
And as if that weren’t enough, the nightmare of culls seems to be returning. During epidemiological testing, three units tested positive for antibodies but not for the active virus.
The Veterinary Services avoided immediately declaring it an outbreak and appealed to the European Commission, which, however, sternly indicated that the animals must be culled. The Director of Veterinary Services has the final say; he is weighing the potential consequences should the Commission’s recommendations not be followed, with the possibility of culling being very likely.
Watch Eleni Michael’s report:
