Farming organisations are backing a proposed programme for the reconstruction of Cyprus’s livestock sector for the period 2027-2038, presented today to the President of the Republic by the Special Scientific Committee under Stavros Malas. The government described it as “very thorough work,” containing specific proposals for the medium and long term. These will be put to relevant bodies for discussion before being finalised.
Government Spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis told reporters the Special Scientific Committee had carried out very thorough work on rebuilding the livestock sector. Speaking at the Presidential Palace during his media briefing, and asked about the president’s meeting that morning with Malas, Letymbiotis said the president had been briefed by the committee.
He said the goal is to rebuild a sector that is vital to the country, noting that the findings presented were specific and covered both a medium-term and long-term horizon. He added that, on the president’s instructions, the bodies involved would be briefed in the immediate future, a process that may already be under way, so that all findings could be presented to every party involved. This, he said, would allow for a constructive exchange of views leading to a final version of the proposals, paving the way for the next stage: their adoption and implementation.
Malas’s two reports
Malas said he had submitted two separate reports to the president. These concern the reactivation of affected livestock units by farming area and location, and the reconstruction of Cyprus’s livestock sector following the foot-and-mouth disease crisis, including the proposed 12-year Recovery and Reconstruction Programme for 2027-2038.
In a public statement, Malas said that, on the president’s instructions, it had been agreed the committee’s study and proposals would be presented publicly within the coming days, with the participation of all bodies and interested parties involved. The goal, he said, is to ensure full information and meaningful dialogue around the proposals for the recovery, modernisation and long-term reconstruction of Cyprus’s livestock sector.
Malas also said the public presentation of the reports would mark the starting point for the wider discussion needed, so that the major crisis caused by foot-and-mouth disease can be turned into an opportunity for genuine reorganisation and the creation of a more productive, sustainable and resilient livestock sector for Cyprus.
He thanked the Presidency for its trust in the committee, as well as the scientists, public officials, farmers’ representatives, supply chain representatives and everyone who contributed to preparing the reports. “None of the members or participants in the committee’s work received any additional fee or other financial benefit for their participation and contribution,” he noted.
Once the government and committee had set out their findings, five farming organisations weighed in with their own response. The Agricultural Organisations PEK, EKA, Panagrotikos, Nea Agrotiki and Evroagrotikos said in a statement they supported the proposed programme for the Reconstruction of Cyprus Livestock 2027-2038, submitted today to President Nikos Christodoulides by the special scientific team under Malas.
The organisations said the foot-and-mouth disease crisis now made it necessary to move ahead with radical, long-term decisions to develop livestock farming. They said that, following the achievement of securing Halloumi’s PDO status, the Republic of Cyprus must now proceed with a programme of significant investment in sheep, goat and cattle farming.
Biosecurity, animal welfare, environmental care, genetic improvement and scientific support for producers “are among the first steps that need to be taken,” the organisations said. They added that developing organised meat producers and fattening units, an area where Cyprus currently lags behind, “will create the prospects for growth in that sector too.”
“This way, Cyprus’s economy will have additional revenue, while livestock units will be more sustainable,” they added.
“We call on the government, once it has studied the proposal, to move immediately to implement the proposals,” the statement concluded.
