EU dairy farmers preparing to go on strike

Milk producers across Europe will be demonstrating on June 18-19 to make it clear to EU state leaders at their meeting in Brussels on the drastic situation of the European milk market.

German dairy farmers will be camping outside the European Council building in the night of June 18-19, according to the European Milk Board (EMB).

Romuald Scahber, President of EMB, said the demonstration campaign aims at getting the European heads of state and government to prioritise the milk market situation, and to take effective measures to combat the crisis.

In many countries, farmers are being paid as little as 20 cents for each litre of milk, and prices are continuing the downward trend.

EMB said it is necessary to take immediate action and introduce a flexible control of volumes enabling supply to be adjusted to demand, so that a cost-covering milk price can be achieved across the market.

Sieta van Keimpema, Vice-President of the EMB, said pseudo-measures like export subsidies or preferential treatment of direct payments are of little help and eats away EU funds.

Prior to the recent urgings and protests from EU dairy farmers, the milk price crisis issue had been low on the list of European political priorities.