Cypriot government and farmers address rising foot-and-mouth disease outbreak

The foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Cyprus has reached 120 infected units, with three new cases recently identified in the Nicosia district. President Nikos Christodoulides announced he is personally taking charge of the crisis management following pressure from agricultural organizations. Five major farming unions, including PEK and EKA, have requested an urgent meeting with the President to address the management of the outbreak and the economic impact of containment measures. While farmers demand additional testing and critique current biosecurity protocols, the Veterinary Services maintain that repeat testing is unnecessary under existing European protocols. President Christodoulides has rejected claims of coordination failures between departments, instead attributing the spread of the virus to a lack of compliance with movement restrictions by some stakeholders. A protest by livestock farmers is scheduled for Friday outside the Presidential Palace. The government continues to emphasize the need for strict adherence to protocols to resolve the crisis effectively.