Nicosia: Resilient livestock farming is essential for supporting farmers and strengthening Europe's food security and strategic autonomy, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Christos Senekis, has emphasised, noting the need for tangible European solidarity in regard to livestock losses and foot-and-mouth disease.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Minister participated in the Informal Meeting of European Union Ministers of Agriculture, held in Dublin on 8 September. The main topics of discussion were the European Strategy for Livestock Farming and the European Plan for Protein, with particular emphasis on the role of research and innovation.
Senekis referred particularly to animals' health, biosafety, and crisis readiness, in light of the unprecedented foot-and-mouth disease crisis currently facing Cyprus. He emphasised that losses of livestock have a knock-on effect on livestock farming, processing, and the wider rural economy, and that restoring productive capacity requires tangible European solidarity, as well as greater investment in prevention, biosecurity, and preparedness for future crises.
Senekis emphasised that this meeting took place at a particularly critical time for the European agricultural sector, whilst stressing that research and innovation are essential prerequisites for achieving these objectives, noting that innovation is only of value when it reaches the producer and translates into practical and affordable solutions that reduce costs, increase productivity, and enable a more efficient use of available resources.
