VZCZCXRO9849
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHNC #0889/01 3110552
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 070552Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY NICOSIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8302
INFO RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC 0045
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5064

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NICOSIA 000889 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
AGRICULTURE FOR FAS 
 
BRUSSELS FOR FAS 
 
ATHENS FOR FAS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO CY
SUBJECT: CYPRUS: FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE OUTBREAK SUSPECTED 
 
REF: NICOSIA 844 
 
(U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Barely days after widespread fears over an 
outbreak of scrapie proved unfounded, Cypriot animal husbandry is 
now facing the specter of foot and mouth disease.   The European 
Commission was expected to meet on November 6 to decide on further 
measures, after ordering a ban on Cypriot exports of meat and dairy 
products the day before.  If confirmed, the outbreak threatens 
Cyprus' entire domestic livestock sector, and the related meat 
processing and dairy industries, with collapse.  The GOC is doing 
everything it can (although not yet on the bicommunal front) to 
contain the disease.  This being a pre-election period, there may 
well be political implications.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) "Out of the frying pan and into the fire" -- this would best 
describe the current predicament of Cypriot animal husbandry.  A 
fortnight ago, the future of Cypriot animal husbandry hang in the 
balance over widespread scrapie fears (Reftel).  These fears 
subsided after the European Commission approved a grace period of 
five years for the mass culling of affected animals in Cyprus. 
However, another, related threat -- foot and mouth disease -- now 
threatens the same industry. 
 
¶3.  (U) Over the past few days, the GOC Veterinary Services have 
culled 332 farm animals in the Larnaca district suspected of 
suffering from foot and mouth disease.  Another 2,000 animals in 
several different farms are expected to be culled on November 6.  If 
confirmed, the outbreak puts around 160,000 animals at risk, 
including sheep, goats, cattle, and swine, threatening the entire 
domestic livestock sector with collapse. 
 
¶4.  (U) It is not yet absolutely certain that the culled animals had 
been afflicted by foot and mouth disease but there are strong 
indications that this is so.   Preliminary tests have confirmed the 
presence of Type 0 (the most prevalent type of the seven types) of 
this disease. 
 
¶5.  (U) Alarmed by the developments, the European Commission banned 
the export of meat and dairy products from Cyprus on November 5. 
The Commission was expected to meet on November 6 to decide on 
further measures, pending official confirmation of the disease.  It 
has been reported in the press that EU Health Commissioner Markos 
Kyprianou would try to obtain an exemption for exports of Cypriot 
halloumi cheese, since this is a product obtained after long 
processing and pasteurization of the milk.  Exports of halloumi, 
Cyprus' most famous patented product, have been thriving in recent 
years, reaching CP 17 million (USD 41.4 million) in 2006, and making 
up 6.5 percent of Cyprus' total exports. 
 
¶6.  (U) The Veterinary Services have been on red alert since the 
first suspicious incidents, placing suspect farms in the Larnaca 
area under quarantine, with a 10 km safety perimeter around them. 
The movement of animals from farm to farm has been prohibited and 
milk coming from suspect farms is being destroyed.  As of 5:40 PM on 
November 5, the main slaughterhouse in Kofinou also stopped 
receiving animals of all kinds (sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs) for 
slaughtering. 
 
¶7.  (U) These developments already spell out the risk of fresh meat 
shortages in the market, with knock-on effects on local 
meat-processing plants.  Dairy producers are already feeling the 
pinch.  A leading dairy producer told us that he feared the worst, 
although maintaining some hope.  The ultimate impact on the Cypriot 
economy is impossible to pin down at this point, although it is 
likely to be significant, even though a large portion of the damage 
should be covered by EU funds. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Animal husbandry in the north of the island is equally at 
risk, if the presence of the disease is confirmed officially.  This 
would certainly increase pressure on the GOC to step up cooperation 
with UN authorities to contain the disease.  So far, cooperation 
between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot health services has been 
rather limited, due to political sensitivities.  The main 
impediment, namely, has been the GOC's reluctance to cooperate 
directly with Turkish Cypriot counterparts for fear that they would 
afford them recognition.  The bicommunal Emergency Disease Forum 
(EDF), established in 2006 under the United Nations Development 
Program (UNDP) Action for Cooperation and Trust (ACT), has had only 
limited success to date.  EDF officials are using this latest 
 
NICOSIA 00000889  002 OF 002 
 
 
incident as an opportunity for closer cooperation between the 
communities but have lamented GoC cancellation of a 
regularly-scheduled October 30 EDF meeting which could have been 
used to discuss the Foot and Mouth problem. (UNDP, EDF Memo 
forwarded to State Cyprus desk). 
 
¶9.  (U) As is usually the case in Cyprus, some interesting gossip 
has surfaced as to the origin of the disease, even as the potential 
catastrophe unfolds.  Two "conspiracy theories" have seen the light 
of day in local newspapers: according to the first one, the disease 
is the result of cheap, ineffective animal vaccines procured 
illegally by certain farmers from north Cyprus.  Agriculture 
Minister Photiou said this information was being investigated.  The 
second theory suggests that large commercial interests wanted to 
kick the farmers out in order to develop the areas near their farms 
for tourism and construction. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Comment.  This turn of events does not help incumbent 
President Papadopoulos, who is seeking re-election in February 2008. 
 Pending official confirmation, the fallout from a foot and mouth 
disease outbreak on the economic front, is likely to be 
considerable.  What remains to be seen is the exact extent of the 
damage and whether any resulting financial assistance from Brussels 
is enough to offset the political fallout.  Regrettable as it may 
be, this potential outbreak may also provide the necessary catalyst 
for closer cooperation between the two communities on handling 
emergency diseases.  End Comment. 
 
SCHLICHER