Pork accounts for nearly half of all meat production in Cyprus and leads consumption patterns, according to official data by the Statistical Service released ahead of Tsiknopempti, the traditional grilling day when smoke covers the island.
Pig farming produced 48% of Cyprus’s total meat output in 2024, reaching 35,342 tonnes, the statistics show. Poultry followed with 38% at 28,136 tonnes, whilst cattle and sheep farming lagged significantly behind at 7% and 6% respectively.
The production figures mirror consumption habits across the island. Between 2020 and 2024, Cypriots consumed an average of 41.1 kilograms of pork per person annually, compared to 37.1kg of poultry, 9.3kg of beef, and 6.2kg of sheep and goat meat.
Tsiknopempti marks the Thursday before Lent when Cypriots traditionally fire up grills across the island, filling neighbourhoods with barbecue smoke regardless of weather conditions.