Goat and sheep breeders will march to the presidential palace in Nicosia on February 11, demanding that the agriculture minister enforce her own decree mandating a 5 per cent annual increase in the ratio of goat and sheep milk in halloumi.

The breeders met in Chirokitia on Wednesday night and announced on Friday that they would hold a peaceful demonstration next Tuesday. They warned that if their concerns were not taken seriously, their response would escalate across multiple fronts.

They called on Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou to uphold her decree and to draft a new one extending until 2029, which would take effect when the current decree expires on August 31, 2025.

“This is the only way to achieve the five-year extension of the transition period […] the only way to protect everyone involved in halloumi production,” the coordinating committee of the breeders stated.

On Tuesday, protesters will gather in Nicosia at 10.30am before marching to the presidential palace at 11am under police supervision.