Cyprus to announce timetable for restarting farms hit by foot-and-mouth
The agriculture ministry says indicative dates for farms to resume operations will be published in the coming days, with more than 80,000 animals already culled and €20.26m paid out.
Indicative dates for farms hit by foot-and-mouth disease to resume operations will be made public in the coming days, according to Andreas Gregoriou, Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture. He told the parliamentary agriculture committee on Tuesday that livestock farmers will be informed through an official announcement setting out the restart schedule, as reported by the Cyprus Mail.
So far 126 infected holdings have been recorded and more than 80,000 animals destroyed: 53,403 sheep and goats, 3,061 cattle and 24,483 pigs. Gregoriou said the ministry is shifting its focus from managing the outbreak to getting farmers back to work, with a broad planning meeting held every Tuesday.
Compensation paid out totals €20.26m, including €16.53m for culled animals, €1.6m for destroyed feed and €778,243 for milk losses in 64 cases, plus €914,588 in extra 15% support for 78 affected sheep and goat farmers. Vaccination is about 97% complete in cattle and small-ruminant holdings, with booster doses now under way; the Cabinet has approved up to €5.1m for vaccine purchases in 2026 and 2027.
What it means for residents
The restart timetable matters well beyond the farms themselves: it sets the pace for local milk, halloumi and meat supply, and for how quickly affected rural areas return to normal. Farmers awaiting money should note the conditions attached to the income-loss scheme now being finalised.
- Income-loss support: the scheme covers holdings that lost their entire herd, spans 12 months and is based on 2024 or 2025 financial or tax data; payment comes in two stages, 30% on documented animal orders and 70% after the Veterinary Services confirm the restart.
- Condition to watch: at least 30% of productive livestock must be back within eight months, so paperwork and orders should be prepared early.
- Halloumi rules: the requirement that goat milk outweigh cow milk by summer 2029 still stands; any change would need ministerial and then European Commission review, a process taking about two years.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
