The main challenges facing the primary sector today and the importance of cooperation between producers, businesses and the State were highlighted by Marios Konstantinou, Managing Director of Charalambides Christis Ltd., during his opening speech at the 8th Cyprus Dairy, Agriculture and Livestock Conference.
His speech, which was held within the framework of the 'Competitiveness, Resilience and Future,' section of the event, raised the strategic question of whether the decisions being taken today will allow the sector to be stronger by 2030.
Konstantinou referred to the official foreign trade data of the Republic of Cyprus, reflecting the enormous size and power of the sector in domestic economic development. The dairy sector records an impressive turnover of €603.6 million and supports more than 15,000 jobs in the countryside. According to the final data, in the year 2025 halloumi constituted 9.6% of the country's total exports of domestically produced products with a value of €356.9 million, while its share jumped to 11.2% of exports during the period January - July 2026, reaching €233.4 million.
The X-ray of threats and the shielding of production
At the same time, he underlined that the business environment of 2026 has become significantly more demanding due to geopolitical turmoil, higher production costs, new risks to animal health, global competition and the stricter EU regulatory framework. Konstantinou clarified that the sector's problem is not located in the product itself or its international demand. The real threat is focused on maintaining our production base itself, that is, supporting livestock farmers, protecting livestock and attracting a new generation of producers who will ensure the restart of the units.
At a time when Europe is changing radically, the head of Charalambides Christis pointed out that Cyprus must stay ahead of and lead developments, investing directly in the green transition, in the financing of new infrastructure and in the modernisation of units. Looking at international challenges, such as the Mercosur trade agreement, he stressed that the Cypriot market is impossible to win the race of lowest cost, but it can and must win the global race of highest value, by investing in quality, authenticity and innovation.
Strategic priorities and shared responsibility
Konstantinou analysed the five critical decisions that will define the future of the sector, which focus on increasing productivity per unit in a sustainable manner, strict biosecurity for animal protection, integrating Smart Farming technology through IoT sensors, attracting new farmers and building a unified value chain. Protecting livestock health is not a simple matter of regulatory compliance, but the absolute prerequisite for export security.
In closing, Konstantinou sent a resounding message of unity to the entire political and business audience, reminding that Brand Cyprus is built daily and is everyone’s responsibility, as every liter of milk, every producer and every dairy either strengthens or weakens the country’s international image. He made it clear that there can be no strong dairy industry without sustainable livestock farmers, nor sustainable livestock farming without a competitive processing industry. The future of the sector will be determined by our cooperation today, because the responsibility is shared, the decision must be made now and 2030 starts today.
