The slaughter of animals continues normally as part of the measures to deal with foot-and-mouth disease, said the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panagiotou on Thursday, noting at the same time that the Government is in constant dialogue with all those involved in the issue of halloumi, with the main goals of maintaining the product as the main export agri-food product of the country, the safeguarding of the PDO and the sustainability of all those involved.
In statements after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Mrs. Panagiotou stated that the killings of animals are proceeding normally, as had been announced since last Tuesday, citing the case of Pachna as an example.
Asked whether there were efforts to prevent the killings, she replied that, according to the information she had from the Veterinary Services in Limassol, the procedures are proceeding normally with the escort of the Police.
"I have not been informed of any reaction so far, based on the information I have," she said.
In relation to the issue of halloumi, the Minister stated that communication with all stakeholders is continuous through the Halloumi Monitoring Committee, which, as she said, was created precisely to ensure direct dialogue and management of the problems that arise.
Ms. Panagiotou reminded that since October 2024, the government has been counting the quantities of goat and sheep milk, noting that there is now a clear picture of the available quantities.
As she said, the main goals of the government are "the preservation of halloumi as the main export agri-food product of the country, the safeguarding of the PDO that gives its own momentum to exports and the viability of all those involved".
She added that all decisions are taken on the basis of these three objectives, pointing out that the reduction of the quota in the relevant decree was a temporary measure, which was deemed necessary due to the significant reduction observed in the quantities of milk.
Ministerial Decision
At the same time, the Minister announced that the Council of Ministers approved a proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture to tighten the penalties provided for in the Animal Health Law.
Specifically, in case of a conviction for non-application of the provisions of the law, the prescribed penalty increases from imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to €3,323, to imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to €250,000.
In addition, in cases of trafficking of animals or animal products from areas in which the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control, the penalties are increased from imprisonment of up to 12 months or a fine of up to €8,309, to imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to €250,000.
At the same time, in cases where the Director of Veterinary Services has reasonable cause to believe that a person is in breach or fails to comply with provisions of EU and national legislation, the administrative fine is increased from €5,000 to €100,000.
CNA
