In the coming months, Greece faces a shortage of its famous feta cheese and rising prices due to an outbreak of goat and sheep pox spreading through Greek livestock farms. The contagious disease has led to the culling of over 400,000 sheep and goats since last August, about twice the total sheep and goat population in the Czech Republic.
Authorities have imposed strict isolation measures to control the disease spread, and enforcement actions have been taken against violators. Producers and exporters of Greek feta fear the supply reduction will push prices up and reduce availability across European markets outside Greece.
Greek feta, traditionally made from sheep’s milk and sometimes mixed with goat’s milk, must be produced only from milk sourced in certain Greek regions under EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) rules. This means imported milk cannot replace losses, further tightening supply.
Importers expect some customers to switch to alternative “Balkan-style cheeses” due to feta shortages. However, true Greek feta’s authenticity and taste, tied deeply to the country’s heritage, will remain unmatched, even as prices rise sharply.