Fears of difficulties in Green Line Trade regarding hellim

The protected designation of origin (PDO) of hellim will come into force in October and Turkish Cypriots will have the chance to enter the EU market at the same time as Greek Cypriot producers, provided that they complete their preparations, an MEP has said.

Turkish Cypriot Niyazi Kızılyürek, an MEP for the Greek Cypriot communist party Akel, made the comments during a recent visit to the Cyprus Turkish Livestock Producers and Breeders Association (KTÜYB) to share the latest PDO developments with members of the organisation’s executive committee.

Adjustments made to the Green Line Regulation have been treated with suspicion by North Cyprus industry chiefs, who complain that they are currently unable to export processed foods such as helva and honey via the

South, as previously reported by this paper.

“Problems may occur, and they will occur,” the MEP told the KTÜYB, adding that he has tabled a question in the European Parliament on the matter and that he will continue to follow

Green Line Regulation developments closely.

“I can assure you that I will take the necessary steps to resolve any difficulties in Green Line Trade regarding hellim,” he said.

Prof Kızılyürek added that an

EU “market of 450 million” people is “enough for both sides” and that working together in “bicommunal cooperation” can help producers on both sides of the Green Line to “maximize their revenue”.

“By using the right marketing strategies, we can position hellim in a special status in the European market . . . we should market hellim together in two languages, let’s win together as Cypriots by cooperating.”

Provided that the “two sides move together” Prof Kızılyürek said he felt hopeful that the three-year PDO “transition stage”, to allow producers to increase sheep and goats’ milk production, could be extended.

Prof Kızılyürek underlined that Turkish Cypriot producers can continue to export hellim to Turkey and the Middle East as before, as the PDO requirements only apply to hellim sold in the EU.

KTÜYB head Mustafa Naimoğulları said that upping milk production is an “important step in preparations for the European market, particularly small ruminant milk, since over 51 percent of the milk used in the production of geographically registered hellim must be noncows’ milk”.

Of the 520,000 tonnes of milk produced so far this season, only “30,000 to 40,000 are from small ruminants” he said.

Hellim producers in the TRNC are “battling to address the current scarcity of non-cows’ milk” while “not knowing what the next step in the process will be”, Mr Naimoğulları said.

Animal diseases are another problem, Mr Naimoğulları added, stating that 90 percent of ovine animals and more than 70 percent of bovine animals are “disease-free”.