Christodoulides announces support package for farmers amid FMD spread

President Nikos Christodoulides announced a sweeping nine-point support package for livestock farmers as Cyprus faces an escalating foot-and-mouth outbreak, with the total support for farmers reaching €28 million.

Speaking at the Presidential Palace after a cabinet meeting on Monday, he said the government had already introduced advance compensation of up to €50,000 per unit from March 5, conditional on the number of animals and completion of culling, with payments already being made to affected farmers.

The new package aims to ensure full compensation, income support, and a rapid reactivation of livestock production.

Immediate payments will cover hay, animal feed and other livestock products.

A 12-month income support scheme will be calculated individually, taking into account tax returns, milk deliveries and actual income.

The government will facilitate the purchase of replacement animals from disease-free areas outside Cyprus, prioritising domestic units, while fully covering costs for laboratory tests, vaccines and analyses.

Farmers affected by the grazing ban will receive special aid based on the number of animals and available pasture, and affected plots on state land or Turkish Cypriot properties will be exempt from rents and fees for 2026.

A special investment plan will support the upgrading of affected units, while farmers in restricted zones who have suffered commercial losses will also benefit.

Additional restrictions will apply to livestock units within the British bases, specifically Pergamos.

A special scientific committee, headed by Stavros Malas, will oversee the reconstruction and modernisation of the livestock sector with a ten-year horizon, presenting recommendations within three months.

The committee will include scientists, livestock breeders and representatives from the agriculture and interior ministries, alongside farming organisations.

Malas welcomed his appointment, writing on social media that “political rivalries do not concern me. What concerns me is that we contribute, together with fellow scientists and all those involved, to substantially support Cypriot livestock farming”.

He added that the sector is facing perhaps the most serious crisis in its modern history and stressed the importance of collective action.

“Livestock farmers, scientists, the state, agricultural organisations and society as a whole must work collectively and with determination to ensure the future of the sector. The success of this effort is the responsibility of all of us, not just those in power.”

Christodoulides defending his administration’s policies in regard to the outbreak in the government-controlled areas, stating that “from the very beginning we have stood by all those affected”.

The announcement follows reports of two new FMD cases outside the Larnaca containment zone in Dhali and Yeri, bringing the total number of affected livestock units to 41.

Veterinary services have established new zones around the Idalion area, with 3km in Yeri and 10km in Dhali.

Approximately 15,000 animals have already been culled, with a further 15,000 expected as containment continues, and vaccination coverage now exceeds 76 per cent for cattle and 42 per cent for sheep and goats.

Agriculture minister, Maria Panayiotou, explained that the total package to support livestock farmers, totals €28 million with today’s cabinet decision adding €24.5 million to the original advance payments of €3.5 million.

On the question of whether the government told the truth regarding culling under EU regulation, Panayiotou insisted that “from the first moment the government has told the truth, which is the EU regulation itself.”