Visit of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mr.Petros Xenophontos to supermarkets in view of the Easter holidays
Inspections in supermarkets were carried out today by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mr. Petros Xenophontos, in view of the Easter holiday, in order to be informed about the sufficiency and quality of the products available on the market. The Minister was accompanied by the Director General of the Ministry and the Directors of the Veterinary Services and the Department of Agriculture.
In his statements, Mr. Xenophontos noted that the tour revealed the sufficiency of goods. As he said, citizens are buying vegetables, fruits and meat. It is expected, he said, that the market will continue to be busy in the coming days with a peak on Holy Saturday.
Asked to say what the inspections carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment include, Mr. Minister said that the purpose of his visits to supermarkets is to see "first-hand that the meat is of good quality, that the fruit, vegetables and cheese products and fish products are of high quality and safe for public health." He confirmed that several checks have been made in order to provide consumers with products safe for consumption.
Asked about the prices of products and a journalist's comment that there is talk of a 25% increase in the price of meat, Mr. Xenophontos noted that prices are determined by the laws of the market, noting however that it has been established that prices especially for vegetables are satisfactory and lower than last year.
The Minister of Agriculture also stressed that wine products were also inspected, and sent the message that we support and ought to support Cypriot products.
For his part, the Director of Veterinary Services, Mr. Christodoulos Pipis, said that with regard to the slaughter of animals, there has been a slight decrease this year compared to last year. "However, taking into account the movements that have taken place from European Union countries, we are almost at the same level as last year in terms of the number of animals slaughtered and the number of slaughterhouses that have been moved. About 25,000 ruminants have been slaughtered and another 2,750 carcasses have been moved from European Union countries to meet the needs of the market," Pipis said, adding that slaughtering will continue until Holy Saturday, which will meet the needs of the people in view of the Easter table.
In response to a question about the inspections carried out in the market, the Director of Veterinary Services pointed out that these have been intensified due to the Easter holidays since April 8 and will continue until the 22nd of the month, while at the same time routine inspections continue throughout the year. The aim, he explained, is to ensure that appropriate and safe products are made available for consumption and to prevent any unfair practices on the market.
Finally, asked if some products had to be withdrawn from the market, Mr. Pipis said there were two seizures, one at the carcass level due to animal injuries and one in a seizure of two carcasses in a particular butcher shop due to non-marking.
(MKY)
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