Greek feta is getting more expensive because sheep and goats are dying by the hundreds of thousands
Greece has culled 488,000 animals to fight sheep pox, squeezing milk supplies, raising prices, and threatening its $1 billion feta industry.
A deadly outbreak in Greece has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of sheep and goats, threatening the country's prized feta cheese industry. The Greek government chose mass culling over vaccination to contain the disease, resulting in the slaughter of over 488,000 animals since 2024. This has caused milk shortages, driving up prices for feta cheese, which could see a 30% reduction in production in 2026.
Farmers are facing financial ruin and long delays in receiving compensation for lost animals and feed. While the government has promised assistance, many farmers have experienced significant delays. The outbreak has also resulted in higher prices for consumers, with wholesale feta costing over $11 per kilogram in June, up 33% from the previous year.
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