Nicosia, Cyprus. The ongoing foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak is reshaping the debate around Cyprus’ agricultural model, with OEV President Giorgos Pantelides calling for food security and livestock resilience to become national priorities.
OEV warns food self-sufficiency is a national security issue
Speaking at the federation’s AGM on Tuesday, Pantelides said agricultural production “must stop being approached solely in terms of cost,” arguing that in today’s unpredictable global environment, self-sufficiency in food is fundamentally a matter of national security.
“This is security we must safeguard in a timely manner,” he said, urging Cyprus to ensure autonomous production capacity, “just as we managed to do with medicines through our domestic pharmaceutical industry.”
Outbreak adds pressure on livestock farmers
Pantelides’ comments came as the FMD outbreak continues to deepen, placing what he described as unprecedented pressure on livestock farmers.
He said the crisis should become “an opportunity for the sector’s regeneration,” calling for a holistic plan to restart and restructure affected farming operations.
Water, technology and younger farmers highlighted as priorities
Pantelides said Cyprus must address its long-standing water problem, adopt new agricultural technologies, and provide strong incentives to attract younger people into farming.
“The ageing of the professional farming population makes this an immediate priority,” he said.
Call for greater reliance on desalination
Describing water as “an existential challenge,” Pantelides said Cyprus must decisively reduce its dependence on weather conditions.
“We were fortunate this year with beneficial rainfall, but we know our country is repeatedly hit by droughts and prolonged heatwaves,” he said, calling for full reliance on desalination for water supply while reserving dams primarily for agricultural use.
President Christodoulides says he will engage with protesting farmers
President Nikos Christodoulides, arriving at the AGM, said he was willing to engage directly with protesting farmers.
What steps do you think Cyprus should prioritise to strengthen food security and livestock resilience?
