France

According to reports published by agra-europe on 6.08., in the run-up to the special Council meeting on 7 September French Minister of Agriculture Le Foll is pressing for concrete decisions on mitigating the current crisis situation. At present, France is working on proposals for supporting the markets and is aiming at acquiring majority backing for his proposals by 7 September. Le Foll had previously caused irritation because he had openly championed a price support for French dairy products to the detriment of imports.

Spain

On 5 August, a meeting was held in Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, northern Spain) between dairy farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture and regional politicians. The dairy farmers found the meeting unsatisfactory. On 6 August, there was a second large demonstration in Chantada (Galicia) involving some 500 tractors and about 2,000 dairy farmers. The dairy farmers in Galicia are calling for at least 30 cents for a litre of milk. At the moment they are being paid between 26 and 27 cents, some are even receiving less than 20 cents.

Germany

In an <link fileadmin dokumente press_release emb-allgemein download file>open letter of 6 August, the MEG Milch Board severely criticised German Minister of Agriculture Schmidt’s export drive. In his interview with “Die Welt” the minister had specified new export markets in the Near East (Iran) and China as an option for the growing milk production, and stated his support for boosting exports.

Interview with Minister of Agriculture Schmidt in Die WELT on 02.08.2015 (in German)

Belgium

MIG press release on the current situation in Belgium and measures in the dairy sector (in <link fileadmin dokumente press_release emb-allgemein download file>French or <link fileadmin dokumente press_release emb-allgemein download file>Dutch)

Demonstrations: Big EMB demonstration in Brussels (7 September) and big D19-20 Alliance demonstration in Brussels (6 September).

Great Britain

In the United Kingdom, dairy farmers are continuing to protest outside distribution centres and in supermarkets after the three biggest dairies – Arla, First Milk and Dairy Crest – announced milk price cuts last weekend. The dairy farmers are appealing to consumers to boycott supermarkets practising an unfair price policy.

Lithuania

Lithuanian dairy farmers are still facing a tough situation. On average, prices are around the 18-20 cents mark, with a piffling 10 cents being paid for so-called “surplus milk”. The Lithuanian milk producer organisation LPGA is demanding regulatory instruments for the milk market and calling on the Lithuanian government to guarantee fair trade practices in the dairy sector and fair prices for dairy farmers.