About 2,000 animals from five livestock farms will be culled due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, according to a random sampling survey conducted island-wide in July, said on Monday the Director General of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, Andreas Gregoriou, noting that, once the culling process is complete, compensation for the loss of livestock will be paid.
Referring to the four cases of livestock farmers whose compensation payments are pending, Andreas Gregoriou said that on October 14 there will be a meeting on the matter at the office of the Deputy Attorney General, adding that on October 19 there will be a meeting with all agricultural organizations and representatives of the livestock farmers to brief them on the compensation plans.
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Mr. Gregoriou was speaking to reporters after a meeting he had at the Ministry with the five livestock farmers, whose farms had been affected by foot-and-mouth disease in recent months, in the presence of the Director of Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipis, and other officials.
Describing it as “a particularly useful and productive meeting,” during which many of the farmers’ questions and concerns were addressed, Andreas Gregoriou said that “we have decided that, in some cases, the Veterinary Services will communicate directly with the livestock farmers to address specific technical issues.”
He also noted that it has been agreed that, prior to the culling process, the three-member technical committee, together with the livestock farmers, will record the animal population as well as their characteristics for compensation purposes.
The Director General of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Ministry of Agriculture noted, further, that livestock farmers were informed that in the coming days they will be compensated for the destruction of milk produced during the previous period up to September 23, adding that once the culling process is completed for the animals to be culled, compensation for the loss of livestock will be paid.
He emphasized, in fact, that “on October 19, we will hold a meeting with all agricultural organizations and representatives of livestock farmers to inform them about the compensation plans for loss of income, as well as the incentives for rebuilding livestock herds.”
Responding to a question, Mr. Gregoriou said that “there is no resurgence” of foot-and-mouth disease, noting that “the Director of Veterinary Services can confirm this.” “We are talking about older cases that occurred a few months ago, however, the competent authority ultimately determined—after these characteristics had to be investigated in conjunction with the European Commission—that these animals should be culled,” he explained, noting that “unfortunately, culling is a necessary evil if cases are detected.”
He noted, however, that “as of July 10, if I recall correctly, following a random inspection conducted island-wide, these five facilities have been identified, so we believe that, with the tests that will be conducted, no further cases are expected that would prevent the resumption of operations (by the affected livestock farmers).” On this matter, he said, “a roadmap has been issued by the competent authority, and it is expected that the Director of Veterinary Services will soon be in a position to announce when the farmers will be able to resume operations.”
“In any case, disinfection efforts must continue. Biosecurity measures must be implemented, and the only way to limit the spread of the virus is through vaccination, the vaccination program, which is nearing completion, as well as the biosecurity measures that all livestock farmers are required to implement, and the relevant authorities must ensure that these measures are enforced,” emphasized the Director General of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Ministry of Agriculture. “However, our goal is—I repeat, in consultation and in collaboration (with livestock farmers)—to limit the spread of the virus, but we believe that with all these measures being taken, we will be able to succeed,”, he said.
Responding to a question about the four cases of livestock farmers whose compensation payments are pending, Andreas Gregoriou said that on October 14 there will be a meeting on the matter at the office of the Deputy Attorney General. He will attend the meeting along with the Minister of Agriculture and the Director of Veterinary Services “with the aim of finding a solution to the existing problem,” he said.
“All payments involving public funds must be made in accordance with the law, which is why we are in communication with the Legal Service,” he emphasized. “Our goal is for them (the livestock farmers) to be paid as soon as possible within the framework of the law,” he added, noting that most farms have already been compensated for the loss of livestock and for other issues, such as the destruction of milk and animal feed.
“The two farms raise traditional breeds, fat-tailed sheep and red cows, for which the regulation provides the possibility of different treatment and derogations; however, the competent authority made certain decisions,” said Mr. Gregoriou, adding that one case will be reconsidered.
Pipis: Foot-and-Mouth Disease Exemption Status Will Not Be Granted Soon
For his part, the Director of Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipis, noted that animal inspections are required by European legislation. “In accordance with current legislation and the requirements set forth in the regulation, inspections will be conducted by the competent authority—the Veterinary Services—to confirm that the virus is not present, so that we, in turn, can determine when we will reconsider the issue of submitting a request to be granted the status of a foot-and-mouth disease-free country,” he noted.
At the same time, however, he clarified that the granting of foot-and-mouth disease-free status “is not going to happen anytime soon, but within this framework we must conduct these tests”.
“The agency’s goal is not to euthanize animals. The agency’s goal is to treat animals and ensure their survival, so putting animals to death is not something that brings us joy or satisfaction. We don’t want to euthanize (animals) either, but we are obligated, by the responsibilities entrusted to us by law, to carry out something that we do not find pleasant to do,” emphasized Christodoulos Pipis.
When asked about the procedure that will be followed if epidemiological inspections reveal other facilities with cases of foot-and-mouth disease, the Director of Veterinary Services said that “the appropriate protocol for each case will be followed, evaluating the data for each case individually.”
Regarding the two farms raising fat-tailed sheep and red cattle, Mr. Pipis said that “we have asked the person in charge (of the fat-tailed sheep farm) to tell us where he will relocate it, in order to ensure that there will be no hindrance to the resumption of operations by other livestock farmers in relation to the area where it is currently located”. Regarding the raising of red cows, he noted that “an issue has been raised today, which we will reexamine within the framework of the holistic management of the matter concerning traditional breeds.”
When asked when decisions regarding the breeding of traditional breeds would be made, Mr. Pipis explained that “it depends on the specific case and on the current stage of the overall management of disinfection, cleaning, and preparation of the facilities for reopening, as well as the status of neighboring farms, precisely to prevent any possibility of a recurrence or resurgence of the disease in those specific regions, so that we do not end up in a worse situation than the one we faced in February.”
In total, around 2,000 animals will be culled, he added.
When asked whether the timeline for the sentinel animals, as mentioned by the Minister of Agriculture, is in place, Mr. Pipis said that “it cannot be determined precisely. It may happen sooner than the Minister said, so we cannot give you a specific date.”
“We will try to ensure that the culling process does not set us back,” he emphasized.
Neophytou: We are not in favor of any culling
For his part, the President of “The Voice of Livestock Farmers,” Neophytou Neophytou, stated that “as the ‘Voice of the Livestock Farmers,’ we do not support the culling of any animals—not just sheep and goats, nor cows, nor pigs, nor the kitten that caused such a stir in recent days, because we’re talking about animals that provide a livelihood for families.”
“Beyond that, the good news we have today is that the two cases will be reviewed to see if there is anything positive, both regarding the relocation of the red cows to a location where they’ll be allowed to remain alive—just as the fat-tailed sheep will —as well as for the facility in Aradippou, if there is any chance the animals can be spared,” he added.
“We repeat once again: We are waiting; we want cooperation; we do not support culling; and we want the farms to start up again, to move forward, for people to be paid, to recover lost income, and to see a livestock sector that will once again bring joy to the world of sheep and goat farmers, who have been deprived of prosperity and joy for the past 11 months,” said Mr. Neophytou.
On behalf of the five affected farmers, Pavlos Lazarou stated that he had requested a review of the case concerning his farm, noting that his request had been accepted and expressing his satisfaction with this outcome. “We’ll wait and see what happens,” he added.
Source: CNA
