Immediate support measures for goat and sheep farmers in the north were requested by Dursun Cebi, president of the Karpasia Protection Association, who described the current situation as one of the most difficult periods in the sector’s history.
In a written statement, Cebi urged for the activatation of support mechanisms for lambs and kids that farmers are unable to sell and to regulate the issue of meat imports. As he noted, although animals born in 2025 have reached slaughter age, sales have effectively stalled, sharply increasing maintenance costs for producers at a time when new births are expected toward the end of January.
Cebi also referred to competition pressures, stating that the inflow of meat from the south continues, a development which, he argued, places Turkish Cypriot producers at a disadvantage. High feed costs and accumulated debts, he said, make it impossible for local farmers to compete with imported products.
According to him, unless livestock farmers receive immediate support, many small producers will be forced to leave the profession altogether. Such a development would, he warned, lead to the end of meat production, increased dependence on imports, and higher prices for consumers.
Source: CNA