Filenews 29 December 2025 - by Angelos Nikolaou
The Ministry of Agriculture is in a state of emergency mobilization, following the information about cases of Foot-and-mouth Disease (AF) in a cattle unit in the occupied Lapathos of the province of Famagusta. In an effort to better coordinate all stakeholders, from the production to the marketing of dairy products, an extraordinary meeting is being held today at the Ministry of Agriculture, which has been convened by Minister Maria Panagiotou.
This was preceded by a three-hour meeting on December 22 at the Veterinary Services, with the participation of agricultural organizations, dairy industries and veterinarians, where the epidemiological data and symptoms of the disease were presented. "We will do everything in our power to rule out the occurrence of an incident in the free areas," said the representatives of the breeders, acknowledging the criticality of the moments.
The Veterinary Services call on all those involved to religiously apply biosecurity measures to their farms, as the economic damage from a possible spread would be incalculable.
The authorities are reassuring to the public that Foot-and-mouth Disease is not transmitted to humans. The virus affects exclusively breeding animals (cows, sheep, pigs). Therefore, there is no risk from the consumption of animal products, as long as they comply with hygiene rules.
In order to prevent the spread of the virus, the following measures are already in place:
Disinfections at crossing points: Special disinfection infrastructure has been installed at all crossing points to and from the occupied areas, including the British Bases (Pergamon and Strovilia).
Intensification of controls: The Department of Customs, the Police and the Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) are under constant surveillance of the Green Line to control illegal trafficking of animals and livestock products.
Milk chain surveillance: Controls are intensified throughout the milk collection and transport route.
Australia's blockade and the representations for the lifting of the decision
The seriousness of the situation has taken on international dimensions, as Australia proceeded to remove Cyprus from the list of countries considered free of the disease, causing intense diplomatic activity to revoke the decision, due to the impact mainly on halloumi exports.
The decision of the Australian authorities on 19/12 to remove Cyprus from the countries free of CA, based on press reports, provoked the immediate reaction of Nicosia.
The Veterinary Services, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Commission, sent a documented letter and made representations to the Embassy of Australia. In particular, the Veterinary Services communicated Australia's decision to DG Health requesting their coordinated intervention by the EU on the issue. At the same time, they sent a relevant letter to the Australian authorities requesting the revocation of their decision.
Furthermore, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and directly with the Embassy of Australia in Cyprus, the Veterinary Services made relevant representations and explanations for the imperative of revoking this decision.
According to the latest update from Canberra, the Australian authorities are now reviewing the new data and clarifications sent by Cyprus and the Cheesemakers Association, leaving open the possibility of reconsidering their decision, according to the Veterinary Services.
It is noted that as soon as the allegations of a BP incident in the occupied territories became known, the Veterinary Services put their staff on full alert. The International Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and the European Commission were immediately informed.
The key point of the actions was the arrival of the EU Veterinary Expert Team (EUVET Team) on Friday, 19 December. The experts went to the occupied territories for an on-site autopsy and assessment of the situation. Their findings were discussed in an extensive review with the Veterinary Services, concluding that the faithful implementation of the strictest biosecurity measures is the only way to protect the animal population in the free areas.
