Cyprus farmers agreed to cull animals due to foot-and-mouth disease

Cyprus farmers agreed on Tuesday to cull livestock on infected farms after the government pledged to increase compensation. Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou announced that culling will be carried out immediately.

Cyprus took a significant step on Tuesday toward controlling a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak when local farmers agreed to cull livestock on infected farms. The decision came after tense negotiations between agricultural producers' representatives and the government at the presidential palace.

Cyprus Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou announced following the meeting that culling would be implemented without delay. The farmers' consent was secured by the government's pledge to increase compensation for those affected by the outbreak.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. The disease causes severe suffering in animals and can devastate the agricultural sector if not controlled in a timely manner. Cyprus authorities have implemented several measures to prevent the disease from spreading across the island.

The government's decision to increase compensation was key, as many farmers had previously opposed culling, fearing economic losses. The exact amount of the compensation agreement has not been made public, but farmers' representatives considered it sufficient to cover the losses associated with the risk.