Cheesemakers in Cyprus to Close Dairy Farms in Protest

The Administrative Council of the Cyprus Cheesemakers Association unanimously decided to close all dairy farms as a sign of protest against new halloumi production rules. The action will begin on January 10, with no specified end date.

In a joint statement, the association announced that as of January 1, its members would not be bound by the agreement signed in July 2022 between shepherds, goat farmers, livestock breeders, and dairy product manufacturers for "objective reasons beyond their control."

George Petrou, a board member of the Cyprus Cheesemakers Association and owner of Petrou Bros Dairy Products, told the "Cyprus Mail" newspaper that dairy farms within the association would cease operations on January 10, with no set date for resumption.

Cheese producers are protesting against the Ministry of Agriculture's directive to increase the proportion of goat's milk used in halloumi blends. This proposal aligns with EU guidelines requiring a balanced distribution of cow's and goat's or sheep's milk in halloumi. However, this decision threatens closure for some producers who exclusively made halloumi from goat's or sheep's milk.

It is expected that dairy farms will remain closed until the cheesemakers' demands are met.

Recall that disagreements began on October 20 with a decree unilaterally setting the minimum percentage of goat's milk in halloumi production at 19%.

The cheesemakers' statement notes that this percentage is "based on erroneous calculations and adopted without consultations and agreement from the cheesemakers."

It is emphasized that over the past two months, producers have repeatedly tried to revert to the previously accepted figure of around 10%, but without success.

Cheese producers have also sent letters to the Ministry of Trade and President Nikos Christodoulidis.