The local breed of cattle has existed for hundreds of years as the main breed of ruminant animals in Cyprus, however, with the mechanization of agriculture, their breeding has become unprofitable and as a result their numbers have decreased dramatically, said Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panagiotou, noting the actions that have been taken to increase the number of these animals.
In her greeting at the Conference on "Local cattle breed in Cyprus" at the Cyprus Institute, she said with the dramatic reduction of the local cattle breed and with the aim of preserving the local breed in the habitats of the island, the Ministry since the accession of Cyprus to the European Union to date, it has made efforts, mainly through the granting of financial aid, to increase the number of local breed animals kept by breeders.
The initial stabilization and gradual increase of the population, he noted, was achieved to a large extent due to the support that livestock farmers received through the Agricultural Development Programs that were implemented and the support they now continue to receive through the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027.
In particular, he said that the preservation of the local breed was promoted through the implementation of the targeted measure "Agri-environmental obligations for the conservation and sustainable use of traditional animal breeds". Through the measure, he explained, per capita financial support is provided to the breeders who in turn are committed to the preservation and breeding of the local breed of cattle in its natural environment.
It is estimated, he continued, that until today 74% of farms that raise cattle of the traditional breed have joined the Measure, while in relation to the number of animals, it is estimated that 85% of the local breed has joined. Since the implementation of the Measure, the number of animals has increased by 85,5% and the number of breeders by 63%. A total of 65 farms are subsidized.
Today's meeting, said the Minister, which is part of the events that our Ministry is holding on the occasion of the completion of 20 years of implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Cyprus, is a continuation of the effort that began with the implementation of the above Measure, as and other synergies, contacts and collaborations, with all involved.
"Collaborations, the creation of strong ties and synergies, but also the promotion of, among other things, educational, informational and research programs, we are sure will contribute to the further increase in the number of animals of the local cattle breed. At the same time, it is our belief that informing the consumer public and representatives of the wider sectors of the economy, such as tourism and the food industry, will have beneficial results for the further development and promotion of the local breed of cattle", he added.