Cyprus’s halloumi production remains manageable for now but could face severe disruption if the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak spreads across the island, the Cheesemakers’ Association warned on Wednesday.
According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), spokesman Michalis Koullouros said there was no immediate threat to exports or risk of halloumi being placed on any embargo list, and urged consumers not to worry about the safety of dairy products. Halloumi was safe to eat, he said, because its second boiling process meant it was sterilised and “diseases are not transmitted through it.”
CNA reported that a dispute over halloumi exports to Australia that arose a few months ago had also been resolved. “We communicated with them, in cooperation with the veterinary services, and with the issue of an additional certificate, exports to all countries are continuing normally,” Koullouros said.
The overriding concern, he said, was the scale of animal culls. With 80% of all milk produced in Cyprus destined for halloumi production, a significant loss of livestock would directly threaten output. “We are afraid the virus may spread across the whole of Cyprus, which would lead to the culling of many animals, require a long time to replace them, and have a major impact on halloumi,” he said.
If case numbers spiralled, he warned, “we are concerned that halloumi production will be affected.” He added: “If a large number of animals are culled, we will lose the milk and inevitably halloumi production will also be affected.”
Koullouros said it was too early to identify a specific cull threshold that would trigger serious alarm, as the calculation was complex — different animals produce different quantities of milk. The affected units, their individual milk output, and the downstream impact on halloumi production all needed to be assessed, he said.
The timing of the outbreak was also making things worse, he noted, as this period of the year normally sees milk production at its highest.
If transmission remained at current levels, “we consider the situation manageable,” Koullouros said. However, he added that concern had grown since the virus spread beyond the boundaries of the Larnaca district.
Asked whether there was any discussion of reviewing the timeline for implementing the PDO milk quota, he said no such talks had taken place. The transition period runs until July 2029, during which an application for changes to the PDO specifications can be submitted. “Our concern now, however, is to stop the spread of the virus,” he said, adding that while the quota remained a worry, the immediate priorities were containment and support for livestock farmers. “Without them we cannot produce,” he said, calling for compensation and support measures to restore production to pre-FMD levels.
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