The widespread culling of sheep and goats in Greece due to the increasing number of cases of the highly contagious sheep and goat pox has raised fears that it will have a knock-on effect regarding the production of  Feta cheese, one of the country’s famous culinary exports.

Small Greek Feta manufacturers say they are already having problems sourcing sheep’s milk. While prices of the cheese have not yet increased, this could well be the result if the epidemic is not eradicated.

Sheep and goat pox is a viral infection. The first cases were detected in northern Greece in August 2024, and the disease has since spread across many regions of the country.

One of the many affected sheep farmers, Tassos Manakas, whose farm is in Karditsa, Central Greece, saw his 873-strong herd culled on October 9. He now spends his days sitting in a small room in his barn. “The shop is closed,” he says despairingly.

Our thoughts go out to all the livestock farmers who have had their animals destroyed and their livelihoods wiped out.