The German small farmers’ association (Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft, AbL) has expressed strong criticism about the planned merger of Arla Foods, a Danish-Swedish dairy cooperative, and the German DMK Group. AbL especially deplores the lack of transparency and predicts potential disadvantages for producers.

Multiple Swiss farmers’ organisations have called into question the role and legitimacy of the interbranch organisation IP Lait through a parliamentary motion. Their demand: a fairer governance system, more transparency in contracts, and milk prices aligned with production costs.

The Kolly motion (available in French, German and Italian), submitted on 20 March 2025, is a reaction to the many years of mismanagement by IP Lait, the dairy interbranch organisation. A hasty, thoughtless press release by IP Lait on the Bilaterals III (negotiations between Switzerland and the EU on a third bilateral trade package; editor’s note) was the last straw. The Kolly motion calls for an end to the compulsory fees that must be paid to this organisation that claims to defend the interests of Swiss milk producers. It is, nonetheless, clear that this does not solve the issue of inadequate milk prices. It would be better to change the functioning and composition of IP Lait. Milk producers have had enough of receiving a milk price that is well below their production costs and of being the only ones to have to bear market risks. Despite the 400 million Swiss francs spent by the Confederation on the milk market, the sector is unable to conclude milk contracts that offer dairy farmers prospects.

Against this backdrop, Uniterre, BIG-M, BBK (Bernisch Bäuerliches Komitee) and BZS (Bäuerliches Zentrum Schweiz) demand that the universal application of compulsory fees awarded to IP Lait expiring on 31 December 2025 only be renewed under the following conditions:

• Standard contracts must indicate the milk volume in kilos and price for A-segment milk for at least three months.
• The A-segment price must be fixed according to a floor price system based on production costs and ex-farm prices.
• Collection must prioritise A-segment milk for the first 180,000 kilos.
• Delivery of B-segment milk must be voluntary, without repercussions in case of non-delivery. These demands derive from the “Improve the terms of the dairy interbranch organisation’s standard contracts” motion (available in French, German and Italian) adopted by the Council of States in 2019 and the National Council in 2020.
• Milk producers must make up 50% of representatives in IP Lait; the remaining 50% of seats must be allocated to the buyers, i.e. milk traders, cheese makers, the dairy industry and retailers.
• Milk producer representatives must themselves be dairy farmers.
• Milk producer representatives at IP Lait must not have conflicts of interests. Representatives cannot also be members of management boards of companies involved in the collection/sales/processing of milk.
• Milk producer representatives must be chosen in an open, transparent, democratic process that guarantees that every milk producer has the right to cast their vote.
• Decisions by the IP Lait board and delegates assembly must be taken by simple majority to avoid vetoes by individual sectors.

If IP Lait does not comply with these conditions, the request to extend the universal application of compulsory fees must be rejected at all costs. Otherwise, we will not hesitate in asking the Parliament to correct this position by IP Lait.

Joint press release by Uniterre, BIG-M, BBK and BZS published on 10 April 2025 entitled “Stirring up the hornet’s nest!”

The milk price is currently acceptable for most Swedish producers. A few dairies are unable to match the price offered by the market leader, but there is a general hope among farmers that milk prices will at least remain at their current level.

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union wish to amend the legislation on animal transports. According to the draft regulation, it will no longer be possible to transport calves younger than five weeks and weighing less than 50 kg. This measure would have severe economic and practical consequences for dairy farmers.