Dairy farmers from across Europe have been sending fresh milk to European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.
According to the European Milk Board (EMB) farmers have been sending the milk in protest against the Commission’s “destructive milk policy”.
The EMB states that farmers blame Junker for not reacting to the EMB’s open letter, in which the organisation had called for European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to be removed from his office.
Image: European Milk Board
“Juncker thus just stands and watches while an important pillar of EU agriculture – i.e. milk producers – is not only dangerously weakened, but is truly brought to collapse,” a statement from the EMB said.
Chronic overproduction and the consequent low milk prices literally tear away dairy farmers’ livelihoods, according to the board.
Image: European Milk Board
“Nonetheless, Hogan and Juncker refuse to implement a crisis instrument for the milk market that would require no subsidies.
“They just keep their eyes shut to the negative consequences this ignorant policy has on jobs and development – and thus on stability in and beyond the agricultural sector,” the board stated.
Image: European Milk Board
European Milk Board calls for removal of Commissioner Hogan
The impact of poor milk price across the EU is having a negative impact on dairy farmers and this situation continues to deteriorate, according to the President of the European Milk Board (EMB).
In an open letter written to the President of the European Commission, the EMB President Romuald Schaber criticised how this issue has been dealt with to date by Commissioner Phil Hogan.
“The situation of European dairy farms deteriorates every day. For months now, farm-gate milk prices in many countries have been only 25 and 30c/kg, while it has been proven that production costs are higher than 40c/kg.”
He added that this has occurred due to the imbalance between supply and demand and this has forced some farmers to go broke while others are borrowing money to continue to produce milk below cost.
In this letter, he was critical of the performance of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan.
He said that Commissioner Hogan continues to ignore this issue and he further questioned his capabilities to find a solution to the issue of low milk price.
