A complete of 61 cheese dairies have to this point utilized to take part within the certification and controls scheme for halloumi cheese, Cyprus Agriculture, Rural Improvement and Atmosphere Minister, Costas Kadis stated on Tuesday, including that 42 of them have obtained preliminary approval.
Talking earlier than the Agriculture and Pure Sources parliamentary committee, that appeared into the issues associated to the advertising and marketing of halloumi cheese and complaints for the manufacturing of halloumi in violation to the requirements of manufacturing, Kadis stated that the cheese dairies which have secured this preliminary approval produce greater than 85% of the halloumi amount that’s produced within the Republic of Cyprus.
Kadis famous that after the official registration of halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) the Ministry labored intensively so as to implement as of October 1st the provisions of the related rules and attain an settlement with Bureau Veritas, which is the auditor that may perform the controls.
The Minister stated that the approval that has been given expires on December 31, 2021, and Bureau Veritas should perform checks on the bottom till December 20, 2021, in order that the approval will be renewed.
Furthermore he stated that as of January 1st, 2022, controls can be carried out in livestock farms.
As regards cheese makers, Kadis stated that 953 goat farmers, 233 cattle farmers and eight house owners of combined farms have utilized to affix the certification and controls scheme.
On her half, Power, Commerce and Trade Minister, Natasa Pilides, stated that in cooperation with the Legislation Workplace of the Republic the Ministry works to guard halloumi in third international locations.
She famous that Cyprus has registered emblems within the US, the UK, Syria, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and South Africa and that important efforts are being made to even have such commerce marks in different essential markets as China, Japan, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
Furthermore Pilides stated that halloumi exports are very encouraging, regardless of the challenges confronted as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, she stated that whereas halloumi exports in 2013 amounted roughly to 75.8 million euros, in 2020 they had been over 260 million euros, with the principle markets being the UK (50% of the exports) and Sweden.
As regards authorized measures being taken, Pilides stated that there are 22 circumstances of registered emblems by third events within the UK that are being examined by the Legislation Workplace and the Ministry, whereas there are additionally 23 circumstances of a attainable infringement for which warning letters have been despatched.
Furthermore, Pilides stated that there was compliance or withdrawal of commerce marks in 20 circumstances after authorized measures had been taken, whereas a case was received in court docket towards a Hungarian enterprise on October 30, 2020.