Outbreak of Sheep and Goat Pox in Greece Leads to Mass Culling and Impact on Feta Cheese Production
An outbreak of sheep and goat pox in Greece has resulted in the mass culling of hundreds of thousands of animals. This measure was ordered on affected farms after a case was detected on 12 November. By mid-November, authorities had recorded 1,702 incidents and culled about 417,000 sheep and goats, representing approximately 4-5% of the pre-outbreak livestock population.
The outbreak poses significant challenges for Greece's feta cheese production, as around 80% of Greek sheep and goat milk is used to produce this EU protected designation product. Last year, feta exports reached €785 million in total, with €520 million going to EU countries and €90 million to the UK. The shortage of milk due to culling is expected to increase production costs and strain feta cheese supplies, with small dairies already reporting difficulties in sourcing sheep milk.
Farmers have expressed concerns that the compensation offered for culled sheep, ranging from €132 to €220 per animal, does not adequately cover their losses. Critics of the government's response argue that action was delayed, noting that a National Scientific Committee was only formed in October 2025, 14 months after the first cases emerged. Other criticisms include understaffing of veterinary services, the absence of lockdown zones, and arrests related to illegal animal transport.
There is ongoing debate about vaccination, with farmers advocating for mass vaccination campaigns. However, EU regulations restrict vaccination due to fears that it might result in the disease becoming endemic, which could jeopardize exports. Additionally, no certified vaccine currently exists for sheep pox. Reports of up to a million illegal vaccinations further complicate the epidemiological situation.
The government maintains that eradication plans were established from the outbreak's onset and that cases declined to near zero by spring 2025. The National Scientific Committee was formed in response to non-compliance with biosecurity measures, and prosecutors are considering investigations into potential biosecurity violations.
