Indicative dates for the resumption of operations at livestock farms affected by foot-and-mouth disease will be announced in the coming days, subject to certain conditions, said Andreas Gregoriou, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday before the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture.
As he noted, livestock farmers will be informed via a relevant announcement, which will specify indicative dates for the reopening of the facilities.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Mr. Gregoriou said that the Ministry’s priority is now shifting from disease management to efforts to help livestock farmers resume operations, noting that a broad-based meeting is held every Tuesday to plan these efforts. He acknowledged the livestock farmers’ dissatisfaction, emphasizing that the goal is an organized restart of livestock farming and the sector’s return to a more sustainable footing.
According to the data he presented, 126 infected farms have been recorded to date, and more than 80,000 animals have been culled. Specifically, 53,403 sheep and goats, 3,061 cattle, and 24,483 pigs have been culled. These losses account for 11.9% of the adult sheep and goats, 3.5% of the cattle, and approximately 7.8% of the pigs.
Regarding the vaccination program, the Director General reported that it has been completed at approximately 97% of cattle and sheep and goat farms, while the first booster dose is currently being administered, following the completion of the two initial doses and after a six-month interval. He added that the government has assumed the cost of continuing the program and that the Council of Ministers has approved spending up to €5.1 million for the procurement of vaccines for 2026 and 2027.
Regarding compensation, Mr. Gregoriou stated that a total of €20.26 million has been paid out. Specifically, €16.53 million relates to animal culls, €1.6 million to the destruction of animal feed, and €778,243 to the destruction of milk in 64 cases. At the same time, additional support of 15% was paid to 78 affected sheep and goat farmers, totaling €914,588.
As he noted, the payment of compensation to the four affected farmers for whom legal assistance had been requested from the Legal Service has also been completed. However, some issues remain unresolved; four of these relate to the completion of the destruction of coarse animal feed, while in three other cases, those affected are required to submit the necessary documentation for the payment of the amounts due to them.
Support for Loss of Income
Regarding loss of income, Mr. Gregoriou stated that a methodology for financial support has been developed, which was discussed at the last two meetings of the Special Advisory Committee on Compensation, in which agricultural organizations and representatives of livestock farmers participate. The methodology is expected to be submitted to the Ministry of Finance for approval in the coming days.
The support applies to farms where the entire livestock population was culled, will cover a 12-month period, and will be calculated based on financial or tax data from 2024 or 2025. A simplified procedure is provided for small sheep and goat farms.
A key requirement is the restoration of at least 30% of the productive livestock within eight months. Payment will be made in two stages, with 30% of the support provided upon submission of a documented order for the required animals and the remaining 70% after confirmation of the resumption of operations by the Veterinary Services.
The Director General also noted that plans are underway to encourage the voluntary retirement of small-scale cattle, goat, and sheep farmers in the affected areas, with the aim of reducing livestock density and enhancing biosecurity. He added that a plan for the restocking of the livestock population has already been presented to the advisory committee, while recommendations from the Mala study on the sustainable development of livestock farming are also being implemented. He clarified, however, that the government will not undertake the purchase of the animals.
What about halloumi?
Regarding halloumi, Mr. Gregoriou noted that the provision remains in effect stipulating that by the summer of 2029, goat’s milk must account for a greater proportion than cow’s milk.
He said that a round of discussions among the stakeholders has already taken place and that any request to amend the quota would have to be reviewed by the Minister of Agriculture, who will decide whether to forward it to the European Commission.
As he noted, the European Commission has indicated that it takes approximately two years to review such a request.
Culling continues despite the fact that no active virus has been detected
For his part, the Director of Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipis, stated that no active virus has been detected, clarifying, however, that this does not mean the culls will cease. As he explained, a case is considered positive either when an active virus is detected or when antibodies to the wild-type strain of the virus are detected and there is a link to other positive cases.
He noted that, particularly in small ruminants, laboratory testing is of vital importance, as symptoms may not be apparent. He classified foot-and-mouth disease as a Category A disease, for which strict control measures are mandated due to the risk to livestock and the economic consequences, adding that the Veterinary Services are required to implement the provisions of European legislation.
Referring to the outstanding issues affecting the restart of facilities, he said that in the Dromolaxia area, the movement of cattle to Klavdia, for which the relevant approval from the Land Registry has been secured, is expected to allow for the reactivation of facilities. In Oroklini and Livadia, the cleanup of a facility is pending, while in Aradippou and Athienou, the management of a specific livestock operation and the destruction of hay bales must be completed; a site has been identified in Kelia for this purpose.
Mr. Pipis also noted that facilities are ready in Oroklini, Dromolaxia, Aradippou, and Pachna. Regarding the latter, he said that the livestock farmers ultimately complied and agreed to have their animals vaccinated, while the process of identifying sentinel animals is underway; these are expected to be introduced into the facilities following laboratory testing.
ELAM MP Linos Papagiannis, strongly criticized the handling of the situation by the relevant authorities, stating that in several cases, promises made to livestock farmers were not fulfilled. He called for the difficulties and psychological pressure faced by those affected to be taken into account and for interventions to be made where necessary.
During the discussion, there was a heated exchange between Mr. Papagiannis and Mr. Pipis, when the latter mentioned that Greek authorities had asked to be briefed on the management of the virus so they could follow Cyprus’s example.
Mr. Papagiannis escalated the tension following this remark, refusing to accept that Cyprus’s response could serve as a model, while Mr. Pipis said it is easy to criticize from the opposite side.
Lawmakers and livestock organizations are calling for clear timelines
The Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Giannakis Gabriel, noted that there is a problem with the reactivation of the facilities, noting that nine months have passed and that all necessary steps must be taken so that livestock farmers can return to work as soon as possible. He noted that there are farms waiting to bring in animals but cannot proceed because vaccinations at neighboring farms have not been completed. He also announced that a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture will take place next Tuesday, during which clear timelines will be requested.
DISY MP Charalambos Pazaros raised questions about whether all necessary measures are being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
DISY MP Prodromos Alambritis referred to complaints regarding non-compliance with biosecurity measures, as well as delays in the payment of compensation, noting that the government must respond more quickly to the needs of livestock farmers.
AKEL MP Ephraim Christou asked whether the absence of an active virus also implies an end to compensation payments.
ALMA Movement MP, Litsa Drousiotou, asked for clarification on when affected livestock farmers will be able to resume operations and whether the vaccination program has been completed.
Livestock farmers’ representatives call for faster procedures
On behalf of the Pig Farmers’ Association, Christodoulos Fotiou requested clarification on the continuation of the free distribution of vaccines, as well as the finalization of plans for compensation and the resumption of operations.
POA representative Nikos Papakyriakou expressed concern about interference by other parties in the work of the Veterinary Services, noting that there are livestock farms with animals ready for import that cannot resume operations because the necessary culling of ruminants has not been completed.
He asked the Veterinary Services to make their decisions without interference from other agencies, making specific reference to Stavros Malas, and questioned why the relocation of the animals had not proceeded sooner. At the same time, he raised the issue of compensation for loss of income and called for producers to be kept informed.
Kyriakos Kailas, President of the Pan-Agricultural Association of Cyprus, referred to the delays in the destruction of hay bales, noting that livestock farmers remain unpaid, since they have not been allowed to bury them and cannot pay the farmers from whom they purchased them. He also raised the issue of delays in the third round of vaccinations, noting that, as he said, some livestock farmers did not request to be vaccinated because they would have to bear the cost of the veterinarians or simply because they do not want to.
The President of “The Voice of Livestock Farmers,” Neophytos Neophytou, called for the vaccinations to be completed immediately and for compensation for lost income not to be tied to the resumption of operations. He noted that there are no animals available in Cyprus to rebuild the livestock population and that steps must be taken to source them from abroad. He also called on everyone to contribute to the rebuilding of sheep and goat farms and expressed his opposition to any potential change in the halloumi quota.
The President of the Livestock Farmers’ Association, Christodoulos Christodoulou, reported that the number of cases has now risen to 126, up from 121 in September, noting that the situation continues to cause problems. He raised questions about unresolved issues in specific areas, such as Geri, and whether a farmer’s refusal to vaccinate his animals could be hindering the resumption of operations at neighboring farms.
The Secretary-General of the EKA, Panikos Hambas, also addressed the issue of disease management in the occupied areas, arguing that the European Union takes a different approach regarding cooperation with Turkish Cypriots on PDO halloumi and the management of foot-and-mouth disease. He also called for a clear timeline for resuming operations from the outset and referred to the specifications for importing animals from abroad.
The PEK representative, Michalis Lytras, attributed part of the delays to the fragmentation of government services, noting that the cleaning of the facilities should have been carried out with police assistance to ensure there was no room for refusal to comply. She also expressed opposition to amending the halloumi dossier and called for the acceleration of the development of sheep and goat farming.
Source: CNA
