50% of livestock farmers will not create livestock units again, "because we will still be in an uncertain future", estimates the President of the Pancyprian Pig Breeders' Association, Petros Kailas.
As he stated, "it is not easy to re-enter a sector where you will not know when you will have these bad results again, since next to us our Turkish Cypriot compatriots are not doing the same as we do to get rid of the virus. They vaccinate and will live with the virus. They are 2 completely different scenarios," he added.
Asked to comment on the appearance of a case of foot-and-mouth disease in a second pigsty in Paleometochos, the President of the Pancyprian Pig Breeders Association, Petros Kailas, noted that it was "unfortunately expected". As he explained, at this point there are 3 pig farms belonging to 3 brothers, adding that "the distances do not exist and so the 3 pig farms are very dangerous to infection".
He expressed the hope that the third pigsty, from which samples have been taken and information from the Veterinary Services, is not contaminated.
"We are certainly in a difficult situation," said Mr. Kailas, expressing the hope "to contain (foot-and-mouth disease) as much as possible and that it stays until here."
Referring to the issue of compensation for the affected pig farmers, the President of the Pancyprian Pig Breeders Association said that the Association has a representative in the committee that has been created and participates in the consultations.
The payment of compensation will take time, he told KYPE, explaining that an initial financial aid has already been given by the Government (de minimis), until the decision is made by the European Union for further compensation to those affected. "For everything we do as the Republic of Cyprus, we must ask permission from the European Union. It will definitely take 2 months until the answer comes," he stressed.
At the same time, Mr. Kailas expressed the estimate that 50% of livestock farmers will not create livestock units again, "because we will again be in an uncertain future". As he said, "it is not easy to re-enter a sector where you will not know when you will have these bad results again, since next to us our Turkish Cypriot compatriots are not doing the same as we are doing to get rid of the virus. They vaccinate and will live with the virus. They are 2 completely different scenarios," he added.
At the same time, the President of the Pancyprian Pig Breeders Association noted that "at a time when the European Union is giving the Turkish Cypriots €12 million per year for animals, he has an obligation to pressure them to do the same thing we do to be able to get rid of the virus." He also said that it is "a matter of time" for the foot-and-mouth disease virus to be transmitted again from the occupied to the free areas of Cyprus.
Regarding the protest event organized by a group of livestock farmers today at the entrance of Nicosia, Petros Kailas expressed ignorance, noting that he has no information about the participation of pig farmers in the protest and referring to the Ministry of Agriculture for further information.
Panikos Kaponas, on behalf of the Coordinating Committee of Sheep and Goat Breeders, told KYPE that he had no information or participation in the protest, noting that due to the situation with foot-and-mouth disease, "we are against such gatherings".
Asked about the compensation to the affected sheep and goat farmers, he said that so far only the initial aid amounting to €20 per head has been given, adding that "the thing has stopped there".
