EU-wide milk strike looms close

The largest lobby of European dairy farmers threatened to launch a Europe-wide strike over plunging wholesale milk prices following protests in France and Germany.

 

The problem of milk prices is a European problem, and a serious milk policy must be quickly implemented in Europe, said the European Milk Board and the OPL dairy producers' lobby in France in a joint statement.

 

The lobby warned that the producers will stage a European milk strike if the demands are ignored.

 

Dairy farmers across Europe are planning protests in Brussels on Monday during a meeting of EU farm ministers that is to address the crisis in the milk industry.

 

European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel last month rejected calls for a return to milk quotas which the EU will phase out by 2015 and which will served to stabilise prices.

 

Milk prices have dropped sharply over the past year in Europe, partly due to a decrease in food prices.

 

 

Strike in Germany

 

Early this month, German dairy farmers staged a strike next to Chancellor Angela Merkel's offices demanding she take action fight falling milk prices.

 

The German farmers began mobilising when several suppliers lowered milk prices from EUR0.55 to EUR0.48 per litres, leaving only about 20-25 cents per litre for farmers.

 

The price of milk has halved on average in Europe in the past 18 months.

 

 

Strike in France

 

Angry farmers stampeded cows and drove their tractors into the streets of French towns Tuesday (May 19) during a national day of protest against plummeting wholesale milk prices.

 

The government responded to farmers emptying gallons of milk in the streets by naming two mediators to direct talks within the industry, but not before demonstrations spread to regional state buildings across France. The French farmers' federation organised the nationwide day of protest Tuesday but farmers in western France have been staging demonstrations for the past week.

 

An official at the farmers' union said national measures allowing supermarket chains to set prices were also to blame for the crisis in the industry.

 

French farmers are paid EUR210 for 1,000 lifters of milk, 30-percent less than in April 2008, according to the national federation of dairy producers, FNPL.

 

US$1 = EUR0.717024 (May 22)