Pox Outbreak Threatens Greek Feta

A sweeping outbreak of sheep and goat pox is threatening Greece's production of its iconic feta cheese, forcing the nationwide culling of hundreds of thousands animals and raising worries about shortages of what's widely considered the country's "white gold." The disease, first detected in northern Greece in August 2024, has led to the culling of more than 400,000 sheep and goats—about 5% of the country's total livestock—after more than 1,700 outbreaks were recorded, according to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

The impact has been especially harsh for farmers who rely on selling sheep's milk for feta production, a staple export worth nearly $1 billion last year, the BBC reports. Farmers complain that government compensation—ranging from $144 to $240 per animal—falls far short of covering their losses. Some have criticized the government's response, pointing out that a national committee to manage the outbreak was only established in late October, over a year after the first case.

Others say that the veterinary service is understaffed and that initial lockdowns to contain the disease were delayed. The government, for its part, argues it followed European protocols and blames noncompliance with biosecurity measures for the spread. Small dairies are already struggling to secure enough sheep's milk, and experts warn that if the outbreak isn't contained, feta shortages and price hikes are likely. Feta, protected by the EU's designation of origin rules, must be made with at least 70% sheep's milk from Greece to carry the name.

Calls for mass vaccination have grown, but officials worry it could jeopardize exports if Greece is classified as endemic for the disease. Farmers, frustrated by the slow rollout of aid, are pressing for more support and clarity as the crisis drags on. The Thessaly region, the country's agricultural heartland, produces almost a third of the country's milk and feta, but it was hit hard by storm Daniel in 2023. "When we thought we had recovered a bit, the sheep pox came and finished us off," sheep breeder Vagelis Karajiolis told Reuters in September.