Sheep Pox Hits Livestock Farmers Hard in Macedonia

The spread of sheep pox has caused serious financial losses and jeopardized the continuation of operations for dozens of farmers across the country. The Livestock Farmers’ Association describes the situation on the ground as critical and considers the intervention by the responsible institutions to have come too late. According to the association, the damage has now also reached the eastern part of the country, where more than 100 farmers have lost their entire flocks.

Deputy Minister Albrim Hoxha says the number of active disease outbreaks has been reduced from 30 to 11. He announced that 500,000 vaccine doses had been requested from Turkey, while the start of the vaccination campaign has been blocked because of coordination with the European Union and fears that meat exports could be halted.

Livestock farmers, however, insist that vaccination can no longer be postponed. For them, protecting the flocks must be the top priority, even if this is accompanied by warnings that meat exports could be suspended.

An even more serious situation is being reported in Greece, where the livestock crisis has reached major proportions. Thousands of outbreaks have been recorded there, stretching from the Evros region in the east to the Peloponnese, while more than 400,000 livestock animals have been culled as a result. To contain the spread of the disease throughout the bloc, the European Commission has established strict restriction zones in Greece, closed slaughterhouses, and banned the movement of meat and milk.

Developments in Greece serve as a warning signal for neighboring countries, which must rigorously implement quarantine measures and border controls.