The difficulties Greece is facing in bringing an outbreak of sheep pox under control are putting pressure on feta cheese exports. The first outbreaks occurred in 2024 and since then hundreds of thousands of sheep have been culled. These are often preventive culls. In addition, since the start of this year, Greece has been grappling with foot-and-mouth disease on the island of Lesbos, one of the most important production areas for sheep’s milk.

The Greek trade association for feta cheese producers expects prices to rise by 20 per cent within two months, to over 15 euros per kilo. At the same time, there is strong demand from abroad. Exports were expected to grow by around 6 per cent to 7 per cent this year. Due to the animal diseases, it remains to be seen whether this target can be met.

Greek feta is made from a mixture of sheep’s milk and up to 30 per cent goat’s milk. The cheese has a Protected Designation of Origin and comes from a defined area on the Greek mainland and from Lesbos. Feta accounts for around 10 per cent of Greece’s total food exports. The value of sheep’s and goat’s milk produced in Greece amounted to approximately €1.2bn in 2025, and the country exported €835m worth of feta.

Photo: DSM