January 27, 2011

EU to pay German farmers' frozen pork costs

The European Commission will cover the costs of German farmers who agree to freeze the pork they sell and withdraw it from the market for up to six months, until the market recovers from the dioxin scandal.theless, the EU will not buy the meat.

The EU is currently accounting the expected expenses and the measure will be enforced at the start of next week at the latest, Roger Waite, the spokesman of Commissioner for EU Agriculture Dacian Ciolos, said.

Germany's Minister of Agriculture Ilse Aigner welcomed EU's move.

The measure aims to safeguard thousands German farmers from insolvency due to the steep drop of pork prices after the outbreak of the dioxin contamination scare.