April 13, 2012

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture is requesting the EU for milk quotas extension.

Minister Miguel Arias Canete said that in 2003 it was the Spanish who got the milk quotas extended until 2015.

With the current difficulties facing the Spanish dairy sector, including drought, high feed costs and poor farmgate prices, the Minister said he understood only too well the additional burdens that the abolishment of milk quotas would place on producers.

"We are working with the industry to find a solution to stabilise the Spanish dairy sector," he said.

He also said that meetings between the industry and government were on-going, to discuss and study the implementation of measures to ensure the competitiveness and future of the dairy sector.

Minsiter Canete said that the European milk package will aid the industry, through contractual relationships, giving producers more bargaining power and recognising producer organisations.

He said that obligatory contracts and recognition of producer groups will improve the monitoring of production and provide essential information to improve the overall dairy sector.