Licensing and securing state land will be completed within 3 months, Ms Panagiotou said.
Available from Thursday there will be 26 state -owned and livestock plots, for the erection of a new farm’s farm unit, capacity beyond the 800 production sheep and goats each. This announcement was made on Thursday by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panagiotou, at a press conference in Nicosia, in which he also referred to 600 thousand euros in subsidies to young farmers and 400 thousand euros.
According to the responsible minister, their strategic goal is to create professional livestock farms, which will contribute to the growth of sheep and goat milk and a decrease in seasonality, noting that the 26 -piece exploitation is estimated to lead to increased growth by almost 21 thousand sheeps. occupation and productivity.
Within 3 months the securing state land
It is noted that the details of the pieces/ plots today are posted on the website of the Department of Agriculture under the “Licensing Framework for large sheep and goat units”, with Mrs Panagiotou stating that the licensing and securing land will be completed within 3 months.
As he noted, in addition to this announcement, yesterday and after a long session with sheep and goats, it was co -opted that head subsidies would not be given on the basis of the number of animals, as it was today, but on the basis of animal productivity, which for 2025 exceed 200 liters.
“It is understood that in the coming years the few liters of productive animals will increase so that there is further incentive. That is, and I say a random number, if this year is 250 liters, the subsidy will be at 300 liters and so on. Along with this, they will also receive a subsidy for the first -time productive animals that each sheep and goats will have to maintain to increase the production of sheep and goat milk, “said Panagiotou.
He noted that “these will be accompanied by strict safety valves, which will be linked to the commitment to not disposal of slaughter animals to add that the details of this new subsidy will be decided along with the representatives of the sheep and goats and the technocrats of the agriculture.
He expressed the conviction that today’s announcement is a “very important tool” for sheep and goats, adding that “it is perhaps the most important of a series of actions we have received, after opening a prospect for further strengthening the sector, while also showing the clear and state -of -the -art support”.
He called on all those involved to embrace this opportunity to enhance sheep and goats in Cyprus and thus “to strengthen the halloumi pop”.
On the occasion of the announcement, for the granting of the 26 pieces associated with subsidies that can exceed 15 million euros, the responsible minister re -referred to the key goals set by the government, and in particular the maintenance of halloumi as the main agri -food export product and the product.
Referring to the reason, aimed at maintaining halloumi as the main exporting nutrition product, he said it is why 91% of all halloumi production is available in exports.
Therefore, he added, “maintaining the product as the main export product ensures the viability of all sheep and goats, cattle and cheese makers”, stressing that from the total production of 45,000 tonnes, the 41,000 tonnes are available in exports.
“Of these 41,000 tonnes, about 39,000 tonnes are mixed halloumi. By themselves quantitative data make it clear that what feeds on our producers is the exports of mixed halloumi and so they must safeguard. Otherwise, the total annual production of halloumi is estimated to be reduced by up to 40%. If this happens, it will call into question the viability of all stakeholders, “Ms Panagiotou said.
Only 16.64% availability for the production of mixed sheep and goat halloumi
In addition, the Minister of Agriculture, citing daily statements recorded in the software of the Agriculture, said that today there is only 16.64% availability for the production of mixed sheep and goats, explaining that this means that the current decree does not respond to the availability.
He recalled that from July 2024 they said that the quota of the decrees, among other things, will also take into account the availability of sheep and goat milk, as shown in the software, noting that “at the risk of losing 40% of the production of halloumes, which will have Tyrokomas) The decree for the period March 20th with July 31 will set the quota to 20% and the period August 1 – 31 December 2025 to 15%. “
“The above regulation,” he continued, “does not affect any of those involved in the production of halloumi since regardless of quota, there is the commitment of cheese makers to receive all the sheep and goat milk produced, regardless of the rate in the decree. It is understood that any increase in the production of sheep and goat milk is recorded in the software will lead to a new amendment of the decree upwards. ”
Priority to newcomers under 40 years of age
Agriculture I, Makis Abraham, said that the erection of the livestock unit would be subsidized through the investment intervention of the new strategic agricultural policy of 2023-2027 up to € 600,000 for young farmers or € 400,000 for existing farmers.
Referring to the state pieces, he said that 11 are in the Athieno livestock zone, another 11 in the livestock zone of Xylotybos and one in the livestock zones of Ormidia, Kofinou, Choirokitia and Kato Monastery.
He further stated that the data of the pieces/ plots today are posted on the website of the Agriculture under the “Licensing Framework for large sheep and goat units”, adding that the website would have communication phones from the issues of direct information.
He also said that the granting of these pieces would prioritize newcomers under 40 years of age, as well as to people who are trained in livestock issues, with the aim of creating modern units.
Source: KYPE