Veterinary services spokeswoman Sotiria Gregoriadou urged livestock farmers on Saturday to comply with protocol against foot-and-mouth disease and focus on the broader effort to eliminate the virus from the island.
Speaking during a media briefing she said the number of affected farms remains at 38, describing the figure as encouraging but warning the situation could quickly change if restrictions are ignored.
Gregoriadou said a lack of cooperation from some farmers has obstructed veterinary teams carrying out inspections and culling operations.
She added that several officials had been injured during confrontations while performing their duties and that at least two have filed police complaints following incidents involving violent behaviour.
Authorities have so far culled around 14,000 sheep and goats and about 1,100 cattle in an effort to contain the outbreak, with a further 10,000 animals expected to be destroyed as part of the response.
Veterinary services continue to collect samples for laboratory testing while a vaccination campaign is progressing across livestock units.
Gregoriadou said vaccinations have already reached 73 per cent of cattle farms and about 35 per cent of sheep and goat holdings.
She also outlined steps being taken to support farmers affected by the crisis.
An advisory committee on compensation established on March 5 has already met and will prepare individual files for each livestock producer to determine financial support.
As an initial measure the government plans to introduce compensation of up to 50,000 euros for farmers whose animals have been lost.
Gregoriadou said the agriculture ministry is also in contact with European partners including Spain and France to facilitate future imports of animals with high genetic value once Cyprus is declared free of the virus.
“We must focus on the big picture,” she said, warning that failure to apply the measures strictly could allow the disease to spread further and prolong the crisis.
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