Livestock farmers in Cyprus have given the government until Tuesday to respond to a series of questions concerning the culling of animals linked to the outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
The decision was taken during a meeting attended by farmers, agricultural organisations and MPs in the SOPAZ area of Aradippou.
The issue will also be discussed exclusively on Tuesday by the House Agriculture Committee, with the ministers of finance and agriculture invited to attend.
Committee chairman Yiannakis Gavriel, a member of AKEL, said the committee’s agenda for the day would be cleared so that the outbreak and its impact on farmers could be examined in full.
Legal action and protests
At the same time, farmers are preparing mass legal actions in an effort to secure court orders to halt or terminate the culling of animals on their farms.
Earlier, farmers briefly blocked the Aradippou–Avdellerou road for about 15 minutes before reopening it. During the protest, demonstrators allowed an ambulance to pass through the area.
Panicos Hambas, general secretary of the Union of Cypriot Farmers, said Cyprus was going through one of its most difficult moments since Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
“This is a new haircut,” he said, referring to the financial crisis-era bank deposit losses, “but worse because it is also a haircut of our souls.”
Michalis Lytras, honorary president of the Pancyprian Farmers Union, said the priority was to save the country’s livestock population.
“If we lose the animal population, we will also lose Halloumi, which we fought hard to protect,” he said, adding that farmers had received assurances they would be compensated.
Police forces were deployed in the area but did not need to intervene.
Compensation demands
During the meeting, agricultural organisations presented a proposal to the government based on six main points. These include compensation based on the market value of animals that have been culled, payments for seized or destroyed animal feed, vitamins and other supplies, and compensation for milk stocks that have been confiscated or destroyed.
Farmers are also seeking compensation for lost income due to the suspension or reduction of operations, as well as state-backed working capital in the form of medium-term loans at low or zero interest to help farms resume activity.
Additional proposals include the suspension of loan repayments and arrangements with creditors to extend repayment periods.
Some farmers also suggested blocking the Rizoelia roundabout and the airport in Larnaca as part of escalating protests. However, they said they would wait for the government’s responses at Tuesday’s parliamentary committee meeting before deciding whether to intensify their actions.