Halloumi exports reached 29 thousand tons in 2018

Halloumi exports reached 29,000 tons in 2018, acting permanent secretary of Agriculture Ministry Andreas Louca has said.

Louca, who was addressing on Friday a halloumi traditional festival, in Prastio Avdimou village in Limassol district, said that the Cyprus cheese’s export momentum has increased in recent years, adding that in 2018 exports reached about 29,000 tons.

He also noted that an important component of its success is maintaining its high quality.

Louca assured that the Agriculture Ministry will continue doing its utmost in order to achieve protected designation of origin status.

He also referred to the support the government gives to sheep and goat farmers to help them modernize their units and improve productivity, adding that annual funding of €3.5 million is granted to farmers in the form of subsidies.

Through the EU’s Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 to do mainly with moderinising farms, out of 228 applications approved, 134 were in the goat and cow farming sector with a total budget of over €60 million.

A special funding measure to do with improving the living conditions and welfare of sheep and goats which was announced last May for a total of €7 million attracted great interest with over 200 applications which correspond to 122,000 farm animals, he said.