Nicosia: Both sheep and goats experienced a significant decline in numbers in May 2026, with more than a 40% reduction compared to the previous month, as reported by the Statistical Service.
According to Cyprus News Agency, this drop coincided with ongoing measures to control foot-and-mouth disease, which included the culling of animals. The sheep population fell from 25,174 in April 2026 to 14,642 in May 2026, marking a 41% decrease. Similarly, goats saw a reduction from 15,247 to 8,679, representing a 43% decline.
During the same period, cattle numbers showed a slight increase of 2.69%, rising from 1,339 in April to 1,375 in May. Pigs, however, experienced a decrease of 3.5%, with numbers falling from 44,629 in April to 43,066 in May. Poultry surged with a notable 20.55% increase, reaching 1,411,776 at the end of May, up from 1,171,116 the previous month.
Compared to May 2025, sheep and goat populations at the end of May 2026 showed significant annual increases of 55.4% and 30.5%, respectively. Conversely, cattle numbers decreased by 9.9% on an annual basis. There was a marginal annual decrease of 0.7% in pig numbers, while poultry numbers increased by 16.1% compared to May 2025.
