The Ministry of Agriculture announced a shift from per-animal subsidies to productivity-based payments for goat and sheep farmers, doubling support for high-performing operations to increase milk production for protected designation of origin (PDO) halloumi cheese.
The Ministry unveiled the strategy during Monday’s agricultural advisory committee meeting, chaired by Minister Maria Panagiotou with participation from all farming organisations.
Under the 2025 scheme, farms achieving annual productivity of 230 litres or more per female animal will receive €19 per animal, up from the current €9. Lower-performing operations producing between 115-230 litres annually will receive €5 per animal, but only for 2025.
The ministry plans to raise productivity requirements progressively to 250 litres in 2026 and 300 litres in 2027. The three-year programme carries an annual budget of €4 million.
For the first time, subsidies will be linked to digital production recording through specialised software to ensure transparency and data reliability. Only farmers participating in the recording system and supplying milk to approved dairies will be eligible for support.
