Nicosia: A nationwide vaccination campaign to combat Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has been underway since Friday, with vaccinations taking place simultaneously across all districts of Cyprus, according to the Veterinary Services. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Senior Veterinary Officer and spokesperson for the Veterinary Services, Sotiria Georgiadou, said the campaign is being implemented in parallel across the island.
According to Cyprus News Agency, at the same time, authorities are completing vaccinations within a 10-kilometre restriction zone in the livestock farming area of Larnaca District, where cases of the disease have been detected. Georgiadou said priority is being given to vaccinating cattle and sheep and goats located around pig farms. The programme will then expand to include the remaining sheep and goat populations. The vaccination effort is being carried out in cooperation with private veterinarians.
Regarding pigs, Georgiadou said vaccines have been ordered from Germany and are expected to be delivered once the supplier completes the necessary procedures. She added that, based on available test results so far, no new positive cases have been identified. However, she warned that additional cases cannot be ruled out due to the high concentration of livestock farms in the farming area of Larnaca. Authorities aim to contain the disease within that specific area. Under the vaccination campaign that has already begun, the entire livestock population across Cyprus is expected to be vaccinated. This population is estimated at approximately 85,000 cattle and around 470,000 sheep and goats.
Meanwhile, organised livestock farmers will raise concerns about the handling of animal disease control in the island's northern part, which is occupied by Turkey, during a meeting with the President of the Republic on Sunday. The meeting, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (local time), will include associations representing dairy farmers, sheep and goat farmers and pig farmers, as well as the cheesemakers' association, the Pancyprian Veterinary Association, the Cyprus Veterinary Services and agricultural organisations.
Director General of the Pancyprian Organisation of Cattle Farmers, Nikos Papakyriakou, said a key issue to be raised will be the need for a coordinating mechanism by the European Union. Such a mechanism, he said, should include both the Veterinary Services of the Republic of Cyprus and the relevant authorities in the areas not under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus, in order to monitor efforts there to eliminate the disease.
Papakyriakou noted that the EU has been funding programmes to eradicate animal diseases in the Turkish-occupied areas since 2021, raising questions about whether proper records and oversight exist regarding the measures taken and how the funds are used. 'You cannot provide funding without knowing where the money goes and what actions are being taken,' he said, adding that the origin of the current outbreak should also be investigated.
He also stressed that the occupied areas of Cyprus should apply the same protocols followed in the government-controlled areas, noting that the EU - which provides funding using taxpayers' money - has a responsibility to ensure oversight. Papakyriakou further said that during a visit by European officials to the northern part of the island, in December, they were reportedly not allowed to collect samples or visit farms and were briefed on the situation through photographs. He added that the EU did not react and vaccines were later sent.
Farmers will also raise concerns about the culling of animals. Papakyriakou said they are calling for culling to stop in cases where animals are vaccinated and there is no risk of the disease spreading to other livestock, which could prevent the slaughter of entire herds. Papakyriakou concluded that eliminating the disease requires a coordinated approach across the whole island, stressing that 'there cannot be two different standards in Cyprus.'
Source: Cyprus News Agency