Livestock farmers will expect answers from the government by Tuesday to a series of questions they will send, as decided at a meeting held with the participation of livestock farmers, agricultural organisations and MPs in Aradippou on Saturday.
The issue will be exclusively the concern of the House agriculture committee, to which the finance minister Makis Keravnos and the agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou have been invited to attend.
At the same time, livestock farmers are preparing mass appeals to the courts in order to obtain an order to terminate the killing of animals in their units.
Initially, the farmers closed the Aradippou-Avdellero road for fifteen minutes, only allowing an ambulance to pass through the area.
In his statements, the farmer’s union president, Panikos Hampas, said, “Cyprus is going through one of its worst moments since 1974. It is a new haircut, but even worse for it is a haircut to our souls as well.”
The agricultural union leader, Michalis Lytras, said, “This is not the time for responsibilities, it is the time to save animals. If we lose the animal population, we will also lose the halloumi we fought for.”
He stressed that livestock farmers had received assurances they would be compensated.
Akel MP and agriculture committee chairman, Yiannakis Gavriel, stated that “livestock farmers must know the whole truth.”
The proposal of the agricultural organisations to the government seeks full compensation for farmers, including replacement of animals, losses from destroyed feed and milk, and lost profits from limited operations.
It also calls low or interest-free loans to help reactivate units, and any loan instalments should be suspended with repayment plans agreed for creditors.
A group of farmers expressed interest in closing the roundabout to Larnaca airport, but they will await the government’s response to the committee before deciding on further escalation.
Livestock farmers had blocked roads in Larnaca on Saturday as protests intensified over the mandatory killing of animals linked to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
Farmers first gathered early in the morning in the livestock area of Oroklini where they sought to prevent veterinary officials from entering units to carry out culling measures.
Protesters blocked roads leading to the farms and positioned vehicles across access routes while police officers were deployed to the scene to monitor the situation.
Anger among farmers was symbolised by a coffin placed on the roof of one of the vehicles at the protest site.
Despite heavy rain and poor weather conditions, farmers remained in the area saying they would not allow the animals of a colleague to be destroyed.
The protest later spread to Aradippou where farmers blocked the road linking Aradippou with Athienou.
Agricultural organisations were expected to brief producers there on the outcome of contacts with government officials and the European animal health commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi.
Farmers were due to decide their next steps following the meeting and warned that further action could follow.
One affected livestock farmer expressed the emotional toll of the measures saying that although authorities have promised that animals would eventually be replaced, the damage went beyond financial loss.
“They tell us they will bring us other animals but if you destroy my state of mind, if you destroy me as a person, what will become of us?” he remarked.
Farmers from several districts including Paphos and Limassol travelled to Oroklini to support the protest.
Larnaca deputy police-chief Stavros Foukaris was present and held discussions with demonstrators who insisted they would remain in the area and prevent officials from entering the farms.
Government spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said the authorities respect the right to protest but warned of the health risks associated with gatherings near infected areas.
“It is a very contagious virus and you understand that if there is a gathering it will increase the risk of spread.”
The protests come as Cyprus enforces strict European Union rules requiring the destruction of all animals in farms where foot and mouth disease has been detected.
Varhelyi said during a visit to the island that full compliance with the measures remained the only effective way to contain the outbreak.
Authorities have already culled more than 13000 animals across the island as part of efforts to prevent further transmission of the highly contagious disease.
Officials warn that suspending the measures could allow the virus to spread rapidly and threaten the wider livestock sector and the country’s ability to trade animal products within the European Union.
A new decree issued by the agriculture minister, reinforces restrictions on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals, animal products, and veterinary medicines, and sets updated rules for harvesting and handling animal feed.
Non-compliance with the decree carries fines of up to €5,000 under the animal health law.
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