PRODUCERS: DELAY PDO IMPLEMENTAION TO 2034
HELLIM producers say they need 13 years to prepare themselves for the PDO requirements, which will require a huge shift from the use of cows’ milk to milk from sheep and goats.
Cyprus Turkish Livestock Producers and Breeders Association chair Mustafa Naimoğulları warned that in order to be able to benefit from hellim’s PDO, the number of small ruminant animals should be increased, as well as the standards of the firms who produce hellim to a degree that matches the EU’s expectations.
Animal disease is another area for which preparations should be made and sheep and goat producers should receive the “necessary support”.
“We asked for help from the EU about this situation and for them to divert some of the help they give to the South — who receive 80 per cent of support — to us,” Mr Naimoğulları said.
2024 is the deadline for catching up with the conditions outlined by the PDO, however a demand from the North is that this date is postponed to 2034.
Currently noncows’ milk only makes up “between five and ten per cent” of manufactured hellim, Mr Naimoğulları pointed out.
“The 51 per cent target [for sheep or goats’ milk] means the price of hellim will rise and the market will narrow down,” he said.
Greek Cypriot producers, who have been working on increasing sheep and goats’ milk production for 10 years, have only increased such milk content of hellim to 20 per cent, he noted.
“Neither producers in the South nor in the North will be able to meet this condition for
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2024,” Mr Naimoğulları warned. “It would even be hard to meet it in 30 years’ time. Greek Cypriots have set the date of April 14 to protest.” The number of small ruminants in the TRNC — 294,000 — “must increase” Mr Naimoğulları said. “We must bring more productive sheep breeds to the country.” addition, importing animals and animal to North Cyprus from EU countries ld be enabled as Turkey has not been ded in the list of countries from where imports will be allowed under the PDO. he fact that Turkey is not part of the EU oncerns over animal diseases there are easons for its exclusion, Mr
Naimoğulları stated.
An official from the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry (KTSO) told Cyprus Today that “research should be carried out if we want to know the impact of the PDO within the European market on the price of hellim to local customers”.
He confirmed, however, that while the PDO means producers will have to comply with the 51 per cent small ruminant milk condition for exports to the EU, TRNC customers can be sold hellim with a different milk ratio as it remains outside the European market.
Nonetheless, it is too early to confidently predict the economic consequence of the PDO “given that we will not be able to trade right away and our demand to postpone it from 2024 to 2034 awaits a response” the spokesman said.
The KTSO issued a press release that said claims that “hellim can be sold to the EU tomorrow do not match the reality,” adding: “The real struggle for hellim starts now.”
The statement thanked everyone involved in the “struggle to stop the Greek side obtaining the PDO unilaterally” and said that the fight for the protection of the rights of Turkish Cypriots must continue.
“Although there are no legal obstacles in the Green Line Regulation, South Cyprus authorities do not allow processed food products and plastic products that come into contact with food to cross,” the statement said, despite warnings to the South from the European Commission.
“As in other areas, we need to prepare for the legal and lobbying struggle that will hinder our hellim trade.”
Meanwhile Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Nazım Çavuşoğlu announced last week a “3.2-million euro food and safety project” for dairy producers planned to start this year.
The aim of the project is to conduct a “needs analysis” for dairy manufacturers and farmers and to provide support so EU food safety requirements can be met.
He confirmed that the manufacturers will receive support so small ruminant milk production can increase.
Negotiations with the European Commission will carry on to prevent the “sector or producers becoming victims , as uncertainty persists”, Mr Çavuşoğlu said.
The PDO will “largely contribute towards studies aimed at raising our food standards to the highest level”, he added.