September 27, 2010

Europe to lead global dairy standards 

Europe will set the standard for the world dairy industry, specifically for milk quality and cow welfare, an international dairy expert said.

Ynte-Hein Schukken, professor of Epidemiology and Herd Health at Cornell University, US, said that most of the milk produced throughout the developed world will be following the same standards as those set in the EU.

The US dairy industry expects EU authorities to insist on a much stricter interpretation of its milk import rules. Other countries, notably China and India, are likely to follow the lead shown by Brussels.

The likely impact would a fairer, more open world milk market, he said.

Schukken also predicted that EU authorities would ensure stricter implementation of milk quality standards within the union. In particular he predicted more rigorous implementation of the EU somatic cell standard across all member states.

Improving animal welfare would be another key aspect of EU policy adopted worldwide, he said. Cutting the incidence of clinical mastitis would be likely to receive high priority.

In July, 1,000 European farmers led by the European Milk Board (EMB) and the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) flocked to Brussels to protest about the withdrawal of quotas and the need for a better safety net to protect producers' incomes against low prices.