Another significant development in the production of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product, Hellim.

Within this framework, another production facility in the TRNC was awarded the necessary certification.

The Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry on Monday announced that the number of farms receiving the compliance certificate for raw milk production suitable for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Hellim production has reached 11.

It also added that a second cheese factory will receive PDO-certification for Hellim production within a month.

Providing information to the TAK news agency about the efforts regarding the production of PDO certified Hellim in the TRNC, the Director of the Certification Unit of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, Kemal Öztürk reminded that the European Commission in April 2021 had announced that dairy producers and dairy product manufacturers in Cyprus would be inspected by an independent inspection body, Bureau Veritas.

He said that while Bureau Veritas had started inspections in South Cyprus in October 2021 and as of today, 55 manufacturers were certified, inspections in North Cyprus had only begun in February 2023.

Öztürk said that 11 farms in the TRNC have received compliance certificates for raw milk production, and one manufacturer has been awarded the PDO-certified production for Hellim.

He added that the Arden Hellim Cheese Factory had become the second facility, following Gülgün Dairy Products to pass all inspections and to receive PDO certification.

Explaining that the bacterial content of milk, the animalfeed provided, and non-disease-related factors were examined during inspections on farms, Öztürk said that inspections for livestock diseases were regulated by a separate set of regulations.

He added that it was important for farms to be free of livestock diseases in order to produce milk that could be used for producing PDO-certified products but that the body responsible for conducting these inspections had not yet been determined.

Öztürk added that these inspections could also be carried out by Bureau Veritas.

He also said that the TRNC was very close to eradicating all livestock diseases such as Brucellosis, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

He also expressed hope that Turkish Cypriot producers will be able to export Hellim to EU markets in 2024.