Dialogos

Cyprus Announces €28 Million Support Package for Livestock Farmers Amid Foot-and-Mouth Outbreak

Published March 16, 2026, 17:01
Cyprus Announces €28 Million Support Package for Livestock Farmers Amid Foot-and-Mouth Outbreak

The Cypriot Cabinet has approved a second support package for livestock farmers, amounting to €24.5 million, adding to the €3.5 million already approved on March 5th. The total support package now amounts to €28 million. The Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panagiotou, emphasized that this support covers the needs of farmers based on current data and cases of foot-and-mouth disease. The new package includes nine support measures, in addition to one already approved. The Minister stated that the Government has been clear from the beginning about the need to cull animals, in accordance with European regulations, and that this has been communicated to both farmers and Parliament. The Minister of Agriculture rejected accusations that the Government did not tell the truth about the situation, emphasizing that the priority is to support farmers. She also stated that any omissions or non-compliance with protocols will be investigated. Regarding potential political or administrative responsibilities, the Minister stressed that the emphasis is on providing support to farmers and that this has been done since the first day of the crisis. In addition, the establishment of a special committee headed by Stavros Malas to support livestock farming in general was announced.