May 29, 2009
France's farm prices drop in April on milk price declines
Plunging milk prices have pulled down year-on-year farm prices in France by an average of 14.5 percent in April, according to the statistics office Insee on Thursday (May 28).
Compared with the previous month, prices paid to grain, oilseed, livestock, vegetable and fruit farmers fell 1.6 percent in average. Milk crashed by 20 percent in April.
Dairy farmers in several EU countries have protested about the low milk prices, putting pressure on their governments to help.
Grain prices increased 0.5 percent on-month, supported by a four-percent rise in corn prices, but were still down 42.2 percent on-year under pressure from strong supplies.
Grain prices have stabilised since the start of the year after their fall in 2008, Insee said.
Oilseed prices improved by 5.5 percent in April from March, due to drought in Argentina and strong demand from China, but were still 41.2-percent lower on the year-ago period.
In the meat sector, cattle prices were stable while calf prices were slightly higher, putting the annual declines at 0.9 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively.
Hog prices rose 3.7 percent in April but were still 1.2 percent down on-year.
