Cyprus to Announce Restart Dates for Livestock Units Hit by Foot and Mouth Disease

Nicosia, Cyprus. Andreas Gregoriou, director general of the agriculture ministry, told the House agriculture committee on Tuesday that official dates for restarting livestock units hit by foot and mouth disease (FMD) will be made public in the coming days.

Reactivation of farms

Gregoriou said farmers would receive the exact dates in an announcement setting out indicative timelines for resuming operations. He explained that the ministry has moved its focus from handling the disease itself to getting the units running again, and that meetings on the issue take place every Tuesday.

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Scale of the losses

Ministry figures show that the virus affected 126 farms and led to the culling of more than 80,000 animals. The total included 53,403 goats and sheep, 24,483 pigs and 3,061 cattle.

Gregoriou said these numbers represent 11.9 per cent of adult goats and sheep, 7.8 per cent of pigs and 3.5 per cent of cattle.

Vaccination programme

According to Gregoriou, vaccination has been finished at about 97 per cent of goat, sheep and cattle farms. The first booster shot is now being administered, after the two initial doses were completed. The Council of Ministers has approved spending of €5.1 million to buy vaccines for 2026 and 2027.

Compensation and income support

Gregoriou stated that €20.26 million has been paid out in compensation so far. For the income losses suffered by farmers, he said a methodology for financial support has been prepared, and the draft is due to go to the finance ministry for final approval in the coming days.