It’s just 25 days until Easter and the big family feast but the head of the butchers’ association has warned that prices are up by about two to three euros per kilo of lamb.

“The prices are steadily high, the contributing factors to high animal feed costs are still there and rising – we may call it a crisis, and we don’t see the prices coming down,” Costas Livadiotis told Alpha on Thursday.

“In fact, we’ve warned about further increases – both increases from the shepherds in terms of lamb and even from Greece, they’re saying from €8 per kilo to €10 wholesale and from there a retail price of €12-13 today to €14-15,” he explained.

The veteran butcher warned of the wider pressures faced by the industry, warning that Cyprus is at risk of becoming a meat importer rather than being self-sufficient – as it used to be.

He emphasised that Cyprus now imports 25-30 per cent of its meat, whereas just a few years ago it was self-sufficient.

Livadiotis pressed the government to step in and further support those in the livestock industry, arguing that it’s a matter of keeping the sector alive: the jobs are not sustainable, and many are leaving.

State support would also help ensure the quality of the products on the market, he offered.