Stavros Malas, Head of the Special Scientific Committee for the Reconstruction and Upgrading of the Livestock Sector and President of the Cyprus Institute, will meet this morning with a delegation of livestock farmers.
Mr. Malas will brief the farmers on the progress of foot-and-mouth disease and the next steps, aiming to ease all their concerns.
“There is some restriction in the spread of the disease, but certainly in the areas already affected, control must be completed so we can see where things will end up,” Mr. Malas told CNA on Thursday, on the sidelines of an event at the Cyprus Institute.
Mr. Malas explained that vaccination has contributed to limiting the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
He also made it clear that “the breed is not at risk of disappearing; what is at risk is the genetic biodiversity of the breed, therefore the more animals you have, the better it is for the breed.”
When asked to send a message to livestock farmers who appear firm in their positions, Mr. Malas said that “the message to livestock farmers is to ignore the calls of certain individuals who engage in speculation that we are somehow trying to destroy the country’s livestock sector.”
Regarding culling, according to data from the Veterinary Services, as of Thursday, 39,810 sheep and goats and 2,247 cattle had been culled.
At the same time, the culling process of pigs at all three pig farms has been completed, with the total number reaching 24,483 pigs.
Source: CNA (Cyprus News Agency)
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