Greek feta prices are getting more expensive because the animals are dying by the hundreds of thousands

Giannis Papastergiou's animal workplace is quiet now.

Last year, he recovered signs of sheep and goat pox among his flock. Months later, each animal was gone.

"There are group who person 1 canine and would dice for that animal. Now conscionable ideate having that galore animals," Papastergiou told Business Insider in April.

Papastergiou is 1 of thousands of Greek farmers deed by an outbreak of sheep and goat pox that is threatening the beverage proviso concatenation down 1 of the country's astir valuable foods: feta.

Wherever the highly-contagious illness appears, Greek authorities require farmers to bulldoze full herds — including patient animals. A azygous infected sheep aliases goat could punishment hundreds more.

To incorporate the disease, the authorities besides barred sheep from grazing freely outside, forcing farmers to bargain commercialized feed.

"There are hundreds of thousands of euros' worthy of provender stored present without immoderate reply [from the government]," Papastergiou said.

The Greek authorities promised farmers compensation for provender and culled animals, but those for illustration Papastergiou person faced agelong delays successful receiving those payments.

Since the outbreak began successful 2024, much than 2,600 farms crossed Greece person had their full herds culled. Altogether, the authorities has ordered the bulldoze of much than 488,000 animals arsenic of April.

"What does the culling of each of these animals mean? It intends weeping successful the village, uncertainty, unemployment, and complete financial ruin," Papastergiou said.

Why Greece's $1 cardinal feta manufacture could beryllium astatine risk

Traditionally, authentic Greek feta is made pinch sheep's milk. Between 2024 and 2025, Greece's sheep organization fell 17%. The state still managed to nutrient 154,000 tons of feta successful 2025, bringing successful astir $1 billion.

However, industry experts estimate that the organization shortage is catching up this year. Greece could nutrient astir 11% little feta successful 2026.

The shrinking proviso is pushing up prices. By June, wholesale Greek feta costs much than $11 a kilogram, up astir 33% from the aforesaid play successful 2025.

The wide culling could person an economical effect that lasts for years.

Studies person recovered that, complete the agelong term, culling tin origin greater economical harm than vaccinating animals. The sheep that were culled had been bred for generations. Their beverage was portion of what gave authentic Greek feta its unique taste.

On farms for illustration Papastergiou's, culling has erased that breeding work.

Greece chose culling complete vaccination

While beverage from infected animals doesn't airs a consequence to humans, the viruses are highly contagious and deadly to sheep and goats, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.

The illness usually spreads done the aerial betwixt adjacent animals and tin past successful wool for 2 months.

Because it's truthful infectious, Greece's Ministry of Rural Development and Food adopted a sweeping containment policy. In summation to wide culling, the authorities besides deployed veterinarians and required sanitation measures. But there's 1 measurement it has yet to try.

Nine months aft the outbreak began, the European Commission pressed Greece to commencement a vaccination campaign.

The Greek authorities declined.

Under EU rules, vaccination tin trigger a impermanent prohibition connected dairy exports. Vaccines tin prevention animals, but they tin besides make search the microorganism much difficult. With 65% of Greek feta sold abroad, the authorities chose not to consequence a waste and acquisition ban.

The Greek Ministry of Rural Development did not respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.

Farmers are taking to the streets to protestation the deficiency of vaccination, wide culling, and delayed compensation.

The rippling effect

The effects are moving from farms to cheese factories and restaurants.

Industy experts estimate that Greece could nutrient 30,000 less tons of beverage for food making successful 2026, astir 20% little than the erstwhile year.

Alexandros Botos, the second-generation proprietor of Roussas Dairy, 1 of Greece's apical 5 feta producers, has already felt the squeeze.

He said 20 of his supplier farms person been forced to cull. "But we could not simply switch the farms we mislaid pinch 20 caller suppliers because the ones we mislaid were large-scale operations."

Instead, he's had to prosecute much smaller suppliers and, arsenic of April erstwhile we said pinch him, pays 10% much for the beverage going into his feta factory.

Katerina Katsouli has owned Kriti, a edifice successful Athens, since 1988. She usually gets her feta from the land of Lesbos, but the outbreak has forced her to find caller suppliers arsenic good and salary higher prices.

"Almost a twelvemonth ago, I utilized to bargain a kilo of feta for astir 9 euros," she said. "Now it has gone up to 13 euros."

Meanwhile, immoderate of the feta farms pinch surviving flocks unrecorded successful fear.

"Every azygous time the sun rises, I americium terrified," said Vagelis Karjoilis, a sheep breeder. "What americium I going to find astatine the facility? Am I going to find a case?"

There are signs the sheep pox whitethorn beryllium easing. Greece recorded 131 outbreaks successful the first 4 months of 2026, down from 1,700 successful 2025, though immoderate told Business Insider they stay skeptical that the charismatic figures bespeak the grade of the outbreak.

Editor's note: Papastergiou's, Katsouli's, and Karjoilis's interviews were translated from Greek.