Farmers seek presidential intervention over culling policy

Livestock farmers plan to formally request a meeting with Nikos Christodoulides, their spokesperson Stella Petrou said on Friday, as tensions continue over the mass culling of animals linked to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

Petrou confirmed that a letter will be sent to the president seeking direct talks, with the primary demand being an immediate halt to the killing of animals.

“Let him sit with us at the table,” she said, adding that failure to respond would lead to further escalation.

“If he does not see us, we will take further action”.

The development follows Thursday’s protests, during which farmers blocked the Rizoelia roundabout and temporarily shut access to the port of Larnaca.

Petrou said the decision to reopen the roundabout was taken out of consideration for the public.

“It was not our fault that people who want to go to work are being inconvenienced,” she said.

Petrou indicated that additional support from outside the livestock sector could intensify the protests.

“We already have organisations and associations, which are not related to the livestock breeders’ profession, which are ready to mobilise if needed,” she cautioned.

She stressed that stricter measures are under consideration, reflecting growing frustration among protesters. “We have tolerated enough, enough is enough,” she added.

Petrou also pointed to mounting operational pressures within the sector, stating that storage capacity has been exhausted.

Not all farmers are participating in the protests, according to Petrou, who acknowledged divisions within the sector.

“Not everyone shares our positions. Not everyone understands, they think it won’t reach their own home, but it affects everyone.”

The latest move comes after a four-hour meeting on Thursday between a delegation of farmers and agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou ended without agreement.

The talks focused on measures to control the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, particularly the policy of compulsory culling in affected units.

Following the meeting, the ministry reiterated that suspending the culling programme is not an option under the current legal framework.

Ministerial permanent secretary Andreas Grigoriou, called for an end to demonstrations to allow dialogue to continue, stating that “without cooperation and an end to the demonstrations, the dialogue cannot continue.”

Farmers, however, have continued to challenge the approach, arguing that alternative measures, including vaccination, should be considered in cases where infections are limited.