A workshop dedicated to the past, present and future of the Cyprus cattle breed was successfully held on Friday, March 15, 2024 at The Cyprus Institute’s premises, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment in collaboration with BirdLife Cyprus and with the support of The Cyprus Institute, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Terra Cypria, and the Environmental Department of the British Bases. The workshop was organised on the occasion of the 20 year anniversary of implementing the Common Agricultural Policy in Cyprus.

In her welcome address, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Dr Maria Panayiotou, stated that the aim is to bring together all stakeholders involved in the conservation and promotion of the Cyprus cattle breed through research projects and securing funding.

“The conservation of the Cyprus cattle breed has been promoted through the implementation of the targeted measure “Agri-environmental obligations for the conservation and sustainable use of traditional animal breeds. Through this measure, financial support is provided per head to farmers, who in turn commit to the conservation and breeding of the Cyprus cattle breed in its natural environment”, she emphasized, adding that so far, 74% of the farms have joined the measure, while it is estimated that 85% of the Cyprus cattle breed has been included. She also noted that since the implementation of the measure, the number of animals has increased by 85.5% and the number of farmers by 63%. In total, 65 farms are subsidized.

In his welcome speech, CyI President, Prof. Stavros Malas, mentioned that Cypriot agriculture will be severely affected by climate change, a research area in which The Cyprus Institute is a leader. However, he noted, nature has learned to adapt to climate changes and Cyprus’ cattle breed has been a classic example. “Without science, a country cannot progress”, he said, emphasizing “that the agricultural and livestock sector is the most important sector of an economy. If an organized state is not sufficient in its food production, it cannot withstand difficult times”.

Mr. Michalis Tsiarlis, on behalf of the Directorate of Technical Schools, Education and Training of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Youth, greeted the seminar, explaining that the Cyprus cattle breed is not just a symbol of rural life in Cyprus, but also embodies and represents our cultural heritage.

Presentations were delivered by the Association of Breeders of the Cyprus Cattle Breed, the Management Authority of the CAP Strategic Plan, the Department of Agriculture, the Cyprus University of Technology, The Cyprus Institute, BirdLife Cyprus, the Agricultural Research Institute, the Environmental Department of the British Bases, and the Directorate of Technical Schools, Education and Training.

During the workshop, guests had the opportunity for a unique tasting of meat from the Cyprus cattle breed, provided by the Technical Schools of Culinary Arts of the Ministry of Education. The workshop concluded with a roundtable discussion, addressing topics such as ways to promote and create added value in products of the Cyprus cattle breed, as well as methods and actions for the promotion and use of cattle under conditions of climate change (genotype, grazing, and fire protection).