Farmers protest in Cyprus over foot-and-mouth disease culling measures

The spread of foot-and-mouth disease in Cyprus has triggered significant unrest among livestock farmers ahead of upcoming legislative elections. By April 19, Veterinary Services had initiated the culling of 19,000 pigs across two major facilities in Paliometocho, accounting for 6.1% of the national swine population. On Sunday, farmers held a protest at the entrance of Nicosia, blocking road junctions after gathering outside the Ministry of Agriculture to demand a cessation of the culling of healthy animals. The protesters, including representative Stella Petrou, criticized the lack of clear compensation frameworks, noting that current state offers of 113 euros per animal fall far short of the 600-euro rearing cost. The Animal Party of Cyprus also expressed concerns regarding the authorities' planning and the welfare implications of the mass culling policy. Critics argue that the measures are ineffective because similar culling procedures are not implemented in the Turkish-occupied areas, where vaccination is used instead. The Parliamentary Agriculture Committee is scheduled to discuss the crisis this Thursday.