CYPRUS: Dodoni to start halloumi, anari production

Greek dairy giant Dodoni AE has established a Cyprus subsidiary, Dodoni Dairy Products (Cyprus) Ltd. that will start producing halloumi and anari cheese from spring 2016.

The company is setting up a new production plant in Limassol Ypsonas area from where it will try to tap into the EUR 90 mln market by exporting the traditional Cyprus cheeses to its market network of 35 countries, taking advantage of the recent registration of halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).
Ultimately, only dairy producers in Cyprus (Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots) will be able to use the halloumi label on their cheeses.
The products, as well as Dodoni imports (such as the popular feta) will be distributed by CTC-Argosy, together with graviera cheese and yoghurts produced at the central plant in Ioannina.
In his speech at a launch event in Nicosia, Agriculture Minister Nico Kouyialis said that the PDO registration of halloumi will bring “prospects for growth, development and employment” in the wider farming sector.
He said that Dodonis’ “multi-million investment in Cyprus is most welcome at a time when Cyprus needs foreign direct investments (FDIs) and the creation of new jobs.”
He added that the government will inject EUR 35 mln in the animal husbandry sector to allow local farmers to upgrade their level of service to comply with the advancing needs of the industry.