Farmers await restart after foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Cyprus

During sessions of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Agriculture in early November 2026, officials discussed the ongoing recovery efforts following a devastating foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Christodoulos Pipis, Director of Veterinary Services, and Agriculture Ministry officials reported that 126 livestock farms were affected, leading to the culling of over 80,000 animals, specifically 53,403 sheep and goats, 3,061 cattle, and 24,483 pigs. This represents significant losses to the national livestock sector.

While 57 farmers have declared their facilities ready for operations, the resumption of activity has faced delays due to lack of cooperation from neighboring farm owners regarding cleaning and disinfection protocols. The government emphasized that there is currently no active virus circulating, as daily sampling continues. Agriculture Ministry Director General Andreas Grigoriou announced that authorities are finalizing the process and will issue official dates for the reactivation of individual units in the coming days.

Moving forward, the ministry is shifting focus from crisis management to the long-term sustainability of the livestock sector. Plans include rebuilding herds with high-genetic-value animals, improving reproductive management, and addressing the increased production costs exacerbated by climate pressures and the recent epidemic.