Livestock farmers on Tuesday set out a proposal to restart production following the foot and mouth disease outbreak after reaching an understanding with Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou during talks held earlier this week.

Speaking to Alpha TV, the president of the ‘voice of livestock breeders’ Neophytos Neophytou said there was agreement on elements of the recovery framework and stressed the need for immediate steps to resume production.

He said discussions covered animal transport and the reclassification of livestock for fattening and distribution.

He argued that current restrictions had created operational uncertainty, adding “let the livestock traders, in clean and independent areas, collect animals from the farms, let the anarchy regarding the categories of animals go away”.

He added that livestock farmers were now waiting for formal government announcements and decrees to confirm the agreements reached in the meeting, warning that without written commitments “we won’t move forward”.

The farmers’ proposal also outlines a longer-term reconstruction plan for the sector following culling linked to the outbreak.

It includes the involvement of former minister Stavros Malas, who has been appointed to lead a scientific committee on restructuring and upgrading livestock production.

Under the proposal, designated areas would be developed for new livestock units, with farmers calling for state backed coordination to enable rapid rebuilding of herds.

“We are moving forward today to build farms, and we are bringing animals from abroad, from Cyprus, so that animals can come in, productively, immediately, within ’26,” Neophytou said.

Farmers are seeking assurances on biosecurity measures and stability in disease management policies.

Compensation terms formed a central part of the discussions.

According to Neophytou, the agreed framework would see partial replacement of culled animals funded by the state.

He cited an example where a sheep valued at €400 would receive €200 in state support for replacement costs, with additional payments for feed and income loss during the recovery period.

Government measures already announced include a €35.6 million support package for affected farmers, covering compensation for culled livestock, destroyed feed and milk losses.

Additional support includes income assistance for at least 12 months, replenishment schemes for livestock with high genetic value, and state coverage of feed costs during recovery.

Officials have also appointed support officers to assist each farm with reconstruction planning.

Despite agreement on parts of the recovery framework, tensions remain over implementation and transparency.

Farmers have raised concerns about how compensation is calculated and how advisory committees are structured, arguing that representation from livestock producers has been limited.

Neophytou said the aim was to “get a line” on production rules and animal classification so the sector can restart on a stable basis.