Dairy farmers and farms in America aren’t the only ones struggling from low prices and an excess of products in light of the current demand. The British Broadcasting Co. (BBC) is reporting that European Union (EU) dairy farmers are set to receive roughly €280 million in aid, according to EU farm commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.Dairy farmers in Europe have been quite vocal in expressing their frustrations with the current situation. They have protested meetings of the European Commission, they’ve dumped milk in the streets, they’ve prevented deliveries, and they have flooded farm land with milk as well. The problem is much like the problem in the United States, the price milk is currently drawing on the open market is not keeping up with the price of production.
The BBC reports that “EU Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said she was forced to ‘empty her pockets’ to meet the demands of 21 of 27 member states seeking an emergency fund for dairy farmers.” The aid will come from the 2010 budget.
The action of the EU was not enough to keep farmers from holding a protest in Luxembourg at the site where the EU farm ministers were holding their meeting. A lot of the farmers’ frustration also comes from EU plans to increase production quotas as that will further flood the market with milk. “The EU plans to phase out milk quotas by 2015 and to limit market intervention that supports prices with a view to scrapping it in the long term.”
The dairy discontent continues, but perhaps this latest action will help the European dairy farmers continue their operations.
To read the BBC article click here.
Posted; 10/19/09
