Standoff at Larnaca livestock farm over foot-and-mouth disease culling

On Saturday, a standoff occurred at a livestock farm in the Larnaca district after owners refused to allow veterinary officers to cull approximately 50 animals. Veterinary services reported that the animals were located at a site where previous livestock had already been culled due to foot-and-mouth disease. Police were dispatched to the scene to maintain order while authorities seek to proceed with the culling process. Nationally, 29,731 animals have been culled across 49 infected herds in Larnaca and Nicosia. The Ministry of Agriculture recently launched a website, footandmouth.gov.cy, to provide information on the disease, biosecurity measures, and compensation procedures for affected farmers. Payments to farmers for income loss and equipment destruction are currently being processed through a Special Advisory Committee. To date, 98% of cattle and 75% of sheep and goats have received the first dose of the vaccine, while additional culling operations are scheduled to continue.