Halloumi specs ‘death sentence’ for small cheesemakers

Over a dozen small cheesemakers have written to the president with a “plea for help” as they fear their businesses will shut down following the halloumi requirements which come with the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin).

The 15 cheesemakers use specifically sheep and goat milk decrying that a decree issued on July 8 is a death sentence for their work.

It specified the quotas for halloumi to be 30 per cent sheep and goat milk during the productive season (amounting to seven months). The dry season will mean a 15 per cent spanning five months.

The cheesemakers said these calculations have no bearing on the actual availability of sheep and goat milk.

“Mr President, consider this open letter as a plea for help from dozens of small and traditional cheesemakers that are desperately trying to find the quantity of sheep and goats milk required to produce PDO halloumi.”

They called on President Nikos Christodoulides and Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou to take their view into account as it amounts to their survival.

The latter warned that this will lead to the bigger cheesemakers buying all the available sheep and goat milk to cover their needs so as not to see their exports affected.

As a result, there will not be enough supply available, they said.