Cyprus’s foot-and-mouth outbreak has reached 101 infected units, with the culling of 19,000 pigs already under way in western Nicosia, as farmers mobilise and threaten to block roads on Thursday in a deepening dispute with the government over its handling of the crisis.
The latest figures from the Veterinary Services, current to April 19, show 13 cattle units affected (nine in Larnaca, four in Nicosia), 86 sheep and goat units (62 in Larnaca, 24 in Nicosia) and two pig units in western Nicosia.
A total of 35,534 sheep and goats and 2,244 cattle have already been culled. The figures reflect ongoing sampling across all units within infected zones, which is expected to conclude in the Geri and Dali areas tomorrow and in Larnaca by the end of the month.
The culling of 19,000 pigs across two large units in Palaiometocho has begun and is expected to be completed before the end of the month. That figure represents 6.1% of Cyprus’s total pig population. Veterinary Services have flagged concerns about a third pig unit in the same area. The culled sheep and goats represent 8% of the total adult sheep and goat population, while culled cattle account for 2.8% of the national herd.
The second phase of vaccinations stands at 73.5% for cattle and 60% for sheep and goats. Within protection zones, 18 of 19 pig units have been vaccinated, a rate of 94.7%.
Petros Kailas, president of the Cyprus Pig Breeders Association, has warned that up to 50% of livestock farmers may never return to the sector, citing uncertainty about the future and the ongoing risk posed by the occupied areas, where a vaccination rather than eradication policy is followed.
Farmers staged a mobilisation at the entrance to Nicosia and have issued an ultimatum to block roads on Thursday, the same day the parliamentary Agriculture Committee is scheduled to examine the outbreak ahead of the last plenary session before the parliamentary elections.
A group of farmers has submitted a memorandum to the President of the Republic condemning the culling of healthy animals as an abuse of power and a violation of the right to property under Article 23 of the Constitution.
Their demands include the selective culling of only clinically positive animals, the right to independent private laboratory analysis, and immediate clarification of compensation terms for lost income and herd restocking.
The memorandum states that producers are denied the right to challenge the administration’s scientific position, making the Veterinary Services simultaneously regulator and adjudicator.
The Agriculture Minister and Veterinary Services have responded by citing EU Regulation 2020/687, under which the total culling of units with Category A disease outbreaks — including foot-and-mouth — is mandatory and admits no exceptions.
On compensation, the government says a fund of 28 million euros has been approved. Thirty-one units are already eligible for advance payments, with disbursements being processed gradually. Assessment of milk compensation for a further 27 units is to be completed next week.
The situation is complicated in the Pergamos area near the buffer zone, where the presence of occupation forces is preventing milk collection and veterinary checks. By contrast, cooperation with the British Bases authorities is continuing.
Cyprus is awaiting supplies of disinfectants, protective suits and stunning equipment from Poland, Hungary and Germany through the EU’s DG ECHO mechanism, with the first deliveries expected on April 22.