Rafaela Dimitriadi
Livestock farmers in Cyprus are set to hold wide-ranging talks on Tuesday with Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou over the country’s response to foot-and-mouth disease, amid mounting tensions over mass animal culling and compensation rules.
The meeting between the ministry and the association “The Voice of Livestock Farmers” comes after a planned protest was abruptly cancelled last Friday, following a last-minute phone call from the president to the group’s leadership.
The farmers are expected to raise all major concerns with the minister, with the central issue remaining the government’s policy of culling infected and at-risk animals.
The association’s president, Neophytos Neophytou, told local media that their position on mass culling remains unchanged, insisting Cyprus should seek an exemption from EU protocols and only slaughter infected animals.
However, the government has made clear it must follow European Union rules, which currently require strict containment measures, including widespread culling in affected cases.
Farmers argue they have also consulted veterinarians abroad who, they claim, suggested there may be “loopholes” allowing for exceptions, a claim not confirmed by Cypriot authorities.
The dispute comes as Cyprus continues to battle outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, with officials confirming that infected units have now risen to 112 across the island. The latest cases were detected in Kokkinotrimithia and Palaiometocho, both within a restricted zone in western Nicosia, affecting sheep and cattle farms.
Beyond culling, compensation has emerged as another major point of friction.
Farmers say the current compensation framework is unclear and unfair, arguing it must be broken down into clearer categories with defined pricing standards. They also claim that many farmers lack the required documentation to prove animal value, which could disqualify them from receiving higher payouts.
“Not even 1% of livestock farmers have one of the documents required,” Neophytou said, warning that this could automatically exclude many from compensation schemes.
The government announced compensation measures following a separate meeting last Friday with agricultural organizations, but livestock farmers were not present, a fact they say leaves them at a disadvantage in the discussion.
In a letter sent to the president on April 29, the association also called for a more aggressive vaccination strategy where scientifically possible, instead of immediate culling, along with stronger protections for local and rare breeds considered part of Cyprus’ genetic livestock heritage.
They are also demanding a second laboratory test before any culling decision, independent verification of results, targeted isolation measures, and greater transparency in decision-making, including farmer representation during sampling procedures.
With both sides entrenched on key issues, it remains unclear whether Tuesday’s meeting will produce a breakthrough or further highlight the divide between livestock producers and the government over how to contain the outbreak.
