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Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Limiting Spread and Compensating Farmers Top Priority

Published February 24, 2026, 17:09
Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Limiting Spread and Compensating Farmers Top Priority

The parliamentary session of the Agriculture Committee, discussing the crisis in Cypriot livestock farming due to foot-and-mouth disease, was characterized by high tension and dissatisfaction. Members of Parliament and Committee President Yannakis Gavriel expressed their discontent with the absence of the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panagiotou, from the Committee, while the Chief of Police, Themistos Arnautis, should also have been present. The situation in livestock farming was described as difficult, with farmers complaining about the lack of psychological support and the immediate dispatch of the Police for statements. Information was also requested on the management of contaminated milk. Vaccines have been ordered, but their use will be decided by experts expected to arrive in Cyprus. The Committee President described the crisis as the greatest threat ever faced by Cypriot livestock farming, emphasizing the need to limit the spread of the disease and quickly compensate farmers. The Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Andreas Grigoriou, assured that the state would financially support farmers and provide psychological support.