Nicosia: The Council of Ministers approved a £1.65 million financial support scheme on Wednesday for pig farmers affected by the impact of foot-and-mouth disease. Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panayiotou highlighted that assisting farmers has been a government priority since the disease outbreak.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the scheme provides compensation for the destruction of piglets, based on the number of breeding sows in each pig farming unit. Financial assistance will amount to up to £50 per destroyed piglet, while the maximum amount payable to each pig farmer will be capped at £250,000.
Panayiotou noted that the scheme was designed in cooperation with the Cyprus Pig Farmers Association, describing it as a measure that provides tangible support to the sector. She added that the measure had already been included in the Cabinet's broader package of support measures approved on March 16, 2026, to address the consequences of foot-and-mouth disease, noting that Wednesday's decision approved the detailed implementation framework of the scheme.