Serres: Livestock Diseases Decimate 1/5 of Animals, 10,000 to be Slaughtered

Over 20,000 sheep and goats have been killed in the Serres Regional Unit in the last quarter due to zoonotic diseases. An additional 10,000 animals are to be slaughtered due to sheep pox.

According to the president of the Panserraikos Livestock Association, Elpida Sidiropoulou, 1/5 of the region's livestock has been lost due to successive waves of sheep pox, lumpy skin disease, and bluetongue.

Ms. Sidiropoulou stated that since August there has been a surge in cases, leaving 130 families without animals and income. The economic losses amount to many millions of euros, as producers lose not only the animals but also their productive base.

Livestock farmers are demanding immediate compensation and disagree with the policy of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, which insists on eradicating the disease without vaccinations. They are awaiting the submission of Action Plan 2 by the government to the Commission.

A decade ago, there were approximately 350,000 sheep, goats, and cattle in the Serres Regional Unit. Today, there are 60,000 fewer.