Milk purchases halted on Lesvos following foot-and-mouth disease outbreak
Milk and dairy product purchases on Lesvos will be suspended starting Thursday, March 19, following measures implemented after a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on the island, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The disease, which can affect cattle, sheep, and goats, was officially detected on Monday at a cattle farm in northern Lesvos.
Government officials are scheduled to meet at the Region of the North Aegean building in Mytilini on Wednesday. At 9:30 a.m., farm cooperatives and associations will stage a protest outside the building. Deputy Minister of Rural Development & Food Christos Kellas and the head of the Ministry’s Veterinary Service will attend the meeting.
The suspension impacts nearly 9,000 livestock farmers, whose farms currently produce 60–70 tons of milk daily, sold at approximately €1.45 per kilo. The milk is either processed into cheese on Lesvos or transported elsewhere.
Speaking to Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), livestock farmer and president of the Lepetimnos Community in northern Lesvos, Themis Kammenos, described the situation as “the complete destruction of livestock farming on Lesvos. Starting Thursday, we will be forced to discard massive quantities of milk, while lambs will go unsold due to Easter. None can even be sold on Lesvos, as slaughter and distribution on the island are prohibited.”
