Farmers in Cyprus demand end to mass animal culling due to foot-and-mouth disease

Agricultural organizations in Cyprus intend to appeal to President Nikos Christodoulides with a demand to stop culling healthy animals as part of the fight against foot-and-mouth disease. This issue will be the key topic of a meeting to be held on Sunday at the Presidential Palace.

The decision followed a gathering of farmers and representatives of agrarian organizations in Aradippou. Participants stated that they advocate for the full vaccination of all livestock on the island, and culling should only apply to animals with confirmed symptoms of the disease.

The General Secretary of the Panagrotikos organization, Tasos Yiapanis, stated that farmers consider the current practice of mass culling excessive and demand an immediate policy change.

He also warned that if the authorities do not meet the farmers' demands, protests could begin in the coming days, with farmers ready to take to the streets daily starting Monday.

Representatives of the agricultural sector also believe that the foot-and-mouth disease problem on the island may be long-term. In their view, Cyprus needs to secure a special exemption from the European Union to allow permanent animal vaccination as the primary method of disease control.