Cyprus to compensate farmers for culling 33,000 piglets

Economy animal welfareAnimalsfoot-and-mouthhealthTop News Cyprus to compensate farmers for culling 33,000 piglets Cyprus To Compensate Farmers For Culling 33,000 Piglets Relevant News Perimeter wall collapses in Agios Dometios during excavation 24 July 2026 Cyprus to compensate farmers for culling 33,000 piglets 24 July 2026 On this day: A train derails in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, killing at least 35 in 2013 24 July 2026 Angelos Nicolaou 24 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The Council of Ministers approved a compensation plan on Wednesday to fund the destruction of up to 33,000 healthy piglets, as Cyprus’s pig farming sector buckles under the strain of foot-and-mouth disease restrictions. The measure is part of the wider response to the foot-and-mouth outbreak that has affected Cyprus’s livestock sector in recent months. The Department of Agriculture designed the “Support Plan for the Pig Farming Sector (Piglets)” to provide financial compensation for animal destruction, in an effort to curb collapsing prices and manage the huge market surpluses created by an export ban. Restriction zones were extended across the whole of Cyprus until August 1, 2026, under European Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/582, which imposed a full ban on exports of fresh meat and non-heat-treated products. The inability to sell products abroad has caused serious disruption to the domestic market. Unsold animals are exceeding a final weight of 120 kilograms, degrading their quality and driving up losses from the cost of continued fattening. Faced with this impasse, the government decided on what it described as a harsh but necessary measure, under which up to 33,000 healthy piglets will be born with destruction as their sole purpose. Under the process, the animals are transported to a slaughterhouse, marked with blue ink, and then taken to biogas production units. The Department of Agriculture monitors the culling on a monthly basis, and the measure will be suspended if the balance between supply and demand is restored. The plan was prepared by the Department of Agriculture, approved by the Commissioner for the Control of State Aid, and received a positive opinion from the Ministry of Finance. The maximum total amount available under the plan is €1,650,000. Farmers who apply to send piglets for destruction will share a total amount not exceeding €250,000, with aid estimated at €50 per piglet destroyed. Eligible piglets are defined as those with a live weight of between 7 and 20 kilograms immediately before destruction. The plan aims to provide financial assistance to farmers who choose to send piglets for destruction, reducing their populations for more effective management of their units, limiting the financial losses caused by fattening costs, and ultimately reducing potential pork surpluses on the market. Beneficiaries are natural or legal persons who own or manage pig farming units with breeding sows. The units must be registered with the Veterinary Services registry under regulation K.D.P. 335/2002 and must have taken part in the annual “Pig Farming Survey 2025.” The plan applies exclusively to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the primary agricultural sector. Applications are submitted to the relevant District Agricultural Offices, and the Department of Agriculture carries out administrative checks on 100 percent of applications to confirm eligibility. The number of piglets each producer is entitled to include is determined based on official data from the Pig Farming Survey 2025 and 2025 slaughter records. Aid payments are made only after farmers submit the required destruction documentation, confirmed by a competent veterinarian. Farmers have the right to appeal within 10 working days of being notified of the results. Compensation payments can be made up until December 31, 2026. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Perimeter wall collapses in Agios Dometios during excavation On this day: A train derails in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, killing at least 35 in 2013 Treatment to slow Alzheimer’s progression given in Cyprus for first time Major road projects worth €493m target relief for gridlocked Limassol Officials probed for trading in influence in videogate affair, says investigator War spreads to Red Sea as Houthis strike Saudi tankers and Trump vows retaliation against Iran New clash between the EU and the Venice Biennale as funds halted amid reopening of Russian pavilion Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.