The amount of goat milk in halloumi will be reduced from 25 to 15 per cent until the end of the year because of the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD), Commerce Minister Michael Damianos said.

“The quantities of goat and sheep milk currently available do not allow all halloumi producers to comply with the production specifications of the protected designation of origin for halloumi,” he said in the official gazette.

Damianos said that, therefore, the minimum amount of goat and sheep milk in the raw materials used to produce halloumi will be reduced until the end of the year.

The exact timeframe is the period between May 15 and December 31, 2026.

“The above ratios, unless modified, will remain in effect until the end of the transitional period,” he said.

The outbreak of FMD in February has led to the islandwide culling of thousands of animals including cattle, goats and sheep.

This has had a direct impact on the local agricultural industry, and consequently on halloumi cheese, which is one of Cyprus most successful exports.