Nicosia, Cyprus. Livestock farmers plan to formally request a meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides as tensions continue over the mass culling of animals linked to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. Their spokesperson Stella Petrou said a letter would be sent seeking direct talks and calling for an immediate halt to the killings.
Request for direct talks
Petrou said the farmers want the president to meet with them, warning that a lack of response would lead to further escalation. “Let him sit with us at the table,” she said, adding: “If he does not see us, we will take further action”.
Protests and road blockade
The planned request follows protests on Thursday during which farmers blocked the Rizoelia roundabout and temporarily shut access to the port of Larnaca. Petrou said the decision to reopen the roundabout was taken out of consideration for the public.
Potential escalation and wider support
Petrou said inconvenience to commuters was not the farmers’ responsibility and warned that additional support from outside the livestock sector could intensify the protests. She said organisations and associations not related to livestock breeding were ready to mobilise if needed, adding that stricter measures were under consideration. “We have tolerated enough, enough is enough,” she said.
What do you think should happen next in the dispute over animal culling linked to foot-and-mouth disease?
