Cyprus expands financial aid to livestock sector amid foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
The Cypriot government has announced a total support package of 28 million euros for livestock farmers affected by the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. This figure includes 24.5 million euros from recent cabinet decisions and 3.5 million euros from a previous advance payment in early March. To address the crisis, four veterinarians from Slovakia have been granted temporary permits to assist local authorities with vaccinations and epidemiological investigations. Vaccination coverage has reached 82.67% for cattle and 45.74% for sheep and goats nationwide. Veterinary services have implemented a strict cordon sanitaire in the Geri and Dali areas, and police are monitoring livestock movements following reports of cattle of unknown origin. While no new cases were reported as of March 17, 2026, 41 holdings have been affected across the country, primarily originating from Larnaca. The government is also establishing a special committee headed by Stavros Malas to oversee long-term support, though opposition party DISY has criticized the initial pace of government preventative measures.