€4.5 million COMPENSATION FOR THE KILLING OF 13,000 ANIMALS - Filenews 25/2 - by Angelos Nikolaou
Livestock farming is entering a state of emergency, as foot-and-mouth disease spreads rapidly in the free areas, causing enormous economic damage and intense political confrontation. So far, the disease has affected 11 units, in the areas of Livadia (4), Oroklini (5), Troulloi (1) and Aradippou (1), affecting about 13,000 animals, while the first compensation package is already estimated at €4.5 million. The compensation concerns the market value of animals, hay, milk, etc.
The incidents that have been recorded are under continuous epidemiological investigation by the Veterinary Services, while special emphasis is placed on the tracing of initial and possible sources of infection and spread with the cooperation and support of the Police in the investigation of the case. Therefore, the Police are now investigating the possibility of deliberate concealment, while the authorities emphasize that the delay in information gave the virus the window it needed to spread.
The crisis began on February 20 with the confirmation of a case in a cow unit in Livadia. However, the Veterinary Services claim that the virus appears to have been on farms in Oroklini at least two weeks earlier, without being reported by breeders and private veterinarians, who allegedly attributed the symptoms to gangrenous mastitis. The next 10 units infected were sheep and goats.
As of 19/2/2026, Cyprus is implementing the Emergency Action Plan (Regulation 2020/687), which includes:
24-hour control and disinfection points: Static points were installed by the Police and spraying units in Aradippou, Livadia, Kelia, Troulloi and Oroklini.
Prohibition of movement: There is a pan-Cypriot blockade on the transport of two-bred animals (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs) and feed without a special permit.
Destruction of products: The milk from the contaminated units is destroyed, while the process of burying the infected animals has already begun.
Hunting: Hunting and training of dogs in the affected areas was prohibited to avoid transmission of the virus through the territory.
Political thriller in Parliament
The session of the parliamentary Committee on Agriculture yesterday was held in extremely high tones. There was an objection to the measures taken from 15/12/2025 with the notification of the allegations of an incident of foot-and-mouth disease in a cattle unit in the occupied Lapathos of the province of Famagusta.
It is noted that on 28/1/2026, laboratory tests from farms located within a radius of 3 kilometers along the green line were completed. More specifically, 130 farms were examined and all results were negative. Since there were no more cases in the occupied territories, the disinfections at the crossing points were terminated. According to the Veterinary Services, however, the inspections of the units and the biosecurity measures that livestock farmers must implement continued.
The farmers, in a state of desperation, complained of a lack of coordination, stating that instead of support, they were confronted by police investigators. "We see our livelihood being lost," said the farmer who maintains a unit in Oroklini, Giorgos Dimitriou.
A team of veterinarians from Brussels in Cyprus
In the gloomy climate, bi-communal cooperation offers a breather. Today, the delivery of 10,000 vaccines from the Turkish Cypriot side to the Republic of Cyprus is expected, from the stock of 500,000 doses sent by the Commission to the occupied territories. Another 10,000 doses are expected next week. However, the decision to use them remains in the hands of the European veterinary experts of the EUVET team, who arrived on the island yesterday and will remain until Friday.
It is noted that although cases of foot-and-mouth disease appeared in a total of 11 units, the Commission until yesterday had been informed about the first three outbreaks in a cow breeding unit and in two large sheep breeding facilities in the province of Larnaca. According to the Commission, the Cypriot authorities have already adopted all the necessary control measures in accordance with EU legislation, including epidemiological investigations and laboratory tests.
The Commission considers it necessary for the Cypriot authorities to take immediate and decisive measures on the affected farms and in the containment zones, including the immediate slaughter of the animals on the affected farms, the destruction of dead and slaughtered animals and their products, as well as the disinfection of the facilities. Restrictions on movement, strict biosecurity and surveillance in accordance with EU legislation are also required.
Essentially, the EUVET team will support the Veterinary Services in the fight against the disease, advising on the use of vaccination and developing an emergency vaccination plan.
The Commission will adopt this week the emergency measures needed to deal with the situation on the ground. In total, 529,000 doses of vaccines will be sent to Cyprus in the coming days.
The Commission will adopt measures delimiting, at EU level, the areas to be included in the restriction zone around the outbreak facilities and will determine the duration of this zone.
The measures implemented by Cyprus in these zones are well defined in EU legislation and include, among others:
• The killing on site and the safe disposal as soon as possible of all animals of susceptible species kept on the affected farm.
• The cleaning and disinfection of the facilities.
• The ban on the movement of susceptible animals and their products.
• Intensive surveillance both in the zones of 3 and 10 kilometers as well as in the further restricted zone.
• No exit of susceptible animals from the outer perimeter of the further restricted zone, unless they are intended for direct slaughter within the territory of the Member State concerned.
The status of a "country free of foot-and-mouth disease" has been lost
As the status of Cyprus as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease has been suspended by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), exports of virus-susceptible and unprocessed animal products from this Member State to non-EU countries are temporarily suspended.
In any case, it should be emphasized that the Cypriot competent authorities can no longer sign such export certificates to third countries for animals and certain animal products that require "foot-and-mouth disease-free country" status.
However, the Commission calls on third countries to respect the principle of regionalisation and not to ban exports from the entire territory of Cyprus once the situation stabilises.
Milk from affected farms or suspicious holdings must be disposed of safely.
If emergency vaccination is used, risk reduction measures must be implemented in the vaccinated area, which include a ban on the movement of raw milk, with possible derogations for heat-treated milk and dairy products such as halloumi cheese, including, as a minimum, pasteurization. Such heat-treated products can continue to be placed on the EU market.
