Six million kilos of halloumi remain unsold

Around six million kilos of halloumi remain unsold mainly because of the coronavirus pandemic, MPs were told on Tuesday.

Energy and Trade Minister Natasa Pilides said in recent months Halloumi stocks kept by cheesemakers had increased, prompting the government to seek ways to sell it abroad.

“We have asked all the Republic’s embassies to make an effort to distribute the stocks through bilateral arrangements,” Pilides said.

The government was also in touch with commercial centres in particular markets in a bid to distribute the stock, she added.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Pilides said that halloumi exports were encouraging.

In particular, she said that while halloumi exports in 2013 amounted approximately to €75.8m in 2020 they were over €260m, with the main markets being the UK (50 per cent of the exports) and Sweden.