Greece is scaling up its response to a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on the island of Lesbos, deploying more than 40 veterinarians and agronomists and preparing a tax-free compensation package worth close to 7.5 million euros for affected livestock farmers.
Deputy Minister of Rural Development Thanasis Kavvadas told Parliament that a special platform for paying out compensation is expected to go live by Friday. The scheme covers more than 104 producers and around 20,000 animals that have been culled as part of efforts to contain the disease on the island.
So far, 7.464 million euros has been distributed in Lesbos to cover culled animals, lost income and support for cheese-making businesses, according to Kavvadas. A further payment is planned to cover the remaining 50% of income lost in the second half of 2026. All of the amounts are tax-free, cannot be transferred and cannot be seized.
Lawmakers have also introduced, for the first time, special compensation for milk that farmers were unable to sell because of the outbreak. A joint ministerial decision covering animal feed is nearly finalised. Kavvadas said both measures should be completed by the end of September.
Tracing and eradication effort
The Ministry of Rural Development's central goal remains completing the tracing of the outbreak across the whole island and eradicating the disease. Kavvadas said the ministry had a clear goal of finishing tracing across 100% of farms as quickly as possible in order to achieve eradication.
More than 80% of livestock farms on Lesbos have been traced so far, with around 300 farms still to be checked, according to the relevant services. More than 40 veterinarians and agronomists are working on the island, organised into 23 two-person teams carrying out sampling.
Role of the defence ministry
Kavvadas responded to criticism over the decision to hand operational coordination to the Ministry of National Defence, insisting that the defence ministry is not replacing the Ministry of Rural Development, which he said retains exclusive responsibility for strategy, health protocols and veterinary decisions.
He said the choice was not an admission of weakness but a decision of responsibility, adding that tackling such a demanding animal disease outbreak made it necessary to use all available forces of the state.
The defence ministry had provided 15 veterinarians to Lesbos from the outset. Under the new legislative provision, a senior armed forces officer has now been placed in charge of coordinating operations in the field. Kavvadas said disagreements, delays and hesitations at the local level had made the legislative measure even more necessary.
Dispute with regional council
Kavvadas singled out a recent decision by the North Aegean regional council to halt culling and tracing operations, saying it was creating serious problems and delays. As a result, he said, at least 13 infected farms have not had the legally required measures applied, which he described as "health bombs."
He called on the regional governor and deputy regional governors to immediately revoke the decision. Its legality is now being examined by the relevant committee of the Decentralised Administration of the Aegean.
Protecting the native Lesbos breed
The ministry has also launched an initiative to safeguard the genetic material and survival of the island's native sheep breed. The Union of Lesbos sheep breed livestock farmers has begun collecting and freezing semen from rams, while two cooperatives are taking part in the ministry's programme, covering 86 farms and around 22,000 certified Lesbos-breed sheep.
On vaccination, Kavvadas said the approved plan for tackling foot-and-mouth disease and the current European framework are being followed. He said the response to an animal disease outbreak cannot be dictated by political considerations, adding that scientists have the first and last word, and that decisions will be taken depending on how the outbreak develops.
Staffing shortages in the region
On staffing of veterinary services, Kavvadas clarified that the Ministry of Rural Development is not responsible for services in the North Aegean region, which falls instead under the Ministry of Interior, with staffing carried out at the request of each relevant body. The North Aegean region, which includes Lesbos, Lemnos, Samos, Ikaria and Chios, has 24 veterinary posts allocated, of which 14 are currently filled.
Part of a wider farming plan
The response to the crisis in Lesbos is part of a broader plan to revive Greek livestock farming and support the primary sector announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Thessaloniki International Fair. According to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, the plan includes a tax-free threshold of up to 20,000 euros, cheaper agricultural electricity, the return of the special consumption tax on diesel, more favourable VAT rates on fertilisers and animal feed, and a new system of European agricultural aid.
The government also plans to seek additional European Union funding to help rebuild flocks that have been lost, as part of a wider livestock recovery plan that will require coordination with the European Commission and the involvement of livestock farmers' representatives.
Kavvadas said the absolute priority was to complete the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease and to begin preparing now for the reconstruction of livestock farming in Lesbos.
