Meat Market Stability Tested As Foot-And-Mouth Disease Risks Emerge

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 27, 2026

Raising Alarm Over Afoot Disease Impact

Recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, which led to the culling of thousands of animals, have raised questions about possible effects on meat prices ahead of Easter. Authorities say the market remains stable for now, although supply constraints could emerge if the outbreak expands, particularly in goat and sheep meat.

Official Analysis And Market Operations

Constantinos Karagiorgis, Director of the Consumer Service, said the impact on prices will depend on the confirmed scale of the outbreak and how quickly the situation is contained. Speaking to local media, he noted that market outcomes will largely be shaped by supply availability and the pace of developments in the coming weeks. While price adjustments cannot be ruled out, consumer demand is expected to play a key role in determining pricing levels.

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Industry Response And Supply Stability

Kostas Leivadotiotis, President of the Meat Retailers Association, said market operations remain stable despite isolated cases of consumer stockpiling. Cyprus currently has about one million production animals, including approximately 500,000 goats and sheep, 300,000 pigs, and 300,000 cattle. Industry representatives estimate that the number of animals culled so far represents around 1% of total livestock, limiting immediate pressure on supply. Cyprus’ position as a pork exporter also helps support overall market balance.

Anticipated Price Adjustments For Easter

Mario Drousiotis, President of the Consumers Association, said prices are expected to remain broadly stable in the short term, although limited lamb availability could lead to moderate increases ahead of Easter. He noted that if the culling of around 13,000 goats and sheep, roughly 1.5% of local production, requires replacement through animals originally intended for sale, supply could tighten. In that case, consumers may see price increases of around €1 to €2, particularly if imports are needed, as imported lamb generally carries higher costs.

Conclusion: Monitoring Market Resilience

While current observations indicate that the outbreak has not led to significant market disruption, industry and consumer leaders alike underscore the importance of monitoring the situation over the coming weeks. With no new cases reported beyond the initial 11, business operators and officials remain in close watch, ready to respond to any shifts that could influence market stability as Easter approaches.

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Cyprus Crypto Users Face New Risks As MiCA Rules Take Effect

by News Editor

August 18, 2026

Why Investors Need To Check The Company Behind Their Crypto Platform

Crypto users in Cyprus are being urged to verify exactly which company holds their assets after the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) transition period ended on July 1, 2026.

MiCA rules for crypto-asset service providers have applied since December 2024, but Cyprus allowed companies operating under its previous national framework to continue temporarily. CySEC required providers wishing to remain in the market to apply by February 27, 2026.

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The end of the transition means that appearing on an old national register is no longer enough. Investors must check the specific legal entity providing the service and the activities it is authorised to perform.

Two Regulatory Routes

CySEC maintains separate registers for providers authorised under Article 63 and companies using the Article 60 notification route.

The lists should not simply be treated as a count of licensed crypto exchanges. Providers have different regulatory statuses and may be authorised for different services, including custody, transfers, exchanges or operating trading platforms.

Companies authorised elsewhere in the EU can also serve Cypriot customers through MiCA passporting. Investors should therefore check the wider ESMA register.

Familiar Brands Can Still Be Used In Scams

MiCA authorisation applies to a specific legal entity, not automatically to every website, subsidiary or service using the same brand. Fraudsters can copy a legitimate company’s name, logo and licence number while changing its website or payment details.

The regulatory transition creates another opportunity for scammers. They can imitate legitimate notices about account closures or transfers and claim that customers must urgently move their assets to a new “regulated” platform.

In its July announcement, CySEC warned that customers using unauthorised providers do not receive MiCA protections and advised investors to verify providers through ESMA.

A Wider European Shake-Up

The changes affect the broader European crypto market. VASPnet estimated that more than 1,700 unlicensed crypto companies could face closure, relocation or restructuring after the transition period.

ESMA’s register contained 323 authorised providers at the end of July, while TRM Labs identified 1,343 operating providers in the European Economic Area on July 1, including 281 with MiCA authorisation. The different figures reflect different methodologies, but point to a substantial number of providers operating without the new authorisation.

ESMA instructed unauthorised companies to stop accepting new EU customers, opening accounts and marketing their services, while allowing limited activity needed for an orderly withdrawal.

What Investors Should Check

MiCA introduces common requirements for areas such as governance, disclosures and safeguarding client assets, but it does not make crypto investments risk-free.

For Cyprus users, the key questions are which legal entity provides the service, what it is authorised to do and whether the website or contact details are genuine.

Requests to transfer assets urgently, pay recovery fees, reveal private keys or install remote-access software should be treated as red flags. MiCA may bring greater clarity to the market, but the transition has also created a new opportunity for criminals to exploit a very real regulatory change.

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