May 29, 2008

EU dairy strike spreading wild
 
 

Dairy farmers across the EU have launched a strike campaign on Tuesday (May 27, 2008) in protest of low milk prices and the strike has since spread to additional member states.

Dairy farmers in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, France and Luxemburg took part in the strike and now the dairy farmers in Belgium, Austria and Switzerland have joined in, declaring their support for the strike.

Stefan Mann, deputy president of the German Federal Dairy Farmers Association (BDM), said he expect more countries to join the strike.

Austria's IG Milch dairy association and BDM have both warned hospitals and schools to start stocking up on dairy products in case of a shortage in supply.

Despite the strike, Juergen Abraham, head of the Association of German Food Industries do not think the consumers would be affected as Danish and Dutch milk will fill up the void left behind by the German dairy farmers.

Meanwhile, dairy co-op leaders from Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands have called for an increase in EU milk quotas up to 2 percent per annum from 2009 to 2014.