Greece allocates €38.1 million in compensation for livestock farmers impacted by disease restrictions
Greece’s agriculture ministry has approved €38.1 million in compensation for livestock farmers affected by disease-control measures in 2026, aiming to support the sector amid ongoing animal health crises on Lesvos and beyond.
Greece’s agriculture ministry has approved €38.1 million in compensation for livestock farmers hit by disease-control measures in the first half of 2026, as the sector continues to absorb the effects of sheep and goat pox, peste des petits ruminants and foot-and-mouth disease on Lesvos.
According to the Joint Ministerial Decision published in the Government Gazette, the payment will go to farmers of sheep, goats, cattle and pigs whose animals were culled under veterinary orders, or who could not restock because movement restrictions remained in place. Spyros Protopsaltis, the ministry’s secretary general for rural development and food, said the measure was designed to cover both livestock losses and the inability to resume production.
The scheme applies retrospectively to animals culled between December 2025 and June 2026, with separate treatment for foot-and-mouth disease cases on Lesvos from mid-March. It also covers unresolved claims from 2025 and farmers whose earlier payments failed.
Rates for the half-year period are set at €35 for young sheep and goats, €70 for adult animals, €200 for cattle and €120 for pigs, meaning beneficiaries will receive half the annual amount.
The decision follows a wider support effort. In May, Deputy Minister Athanasios Kavvadas said Greece had already channelled more than €213 million to affected farmers, while Minister Kostas Tsiaras has stressed that keeping livestock production viable remains a government priority.
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