Result milk price negotiations in France
At about 22 o'clock was announced last night the result of the milk price negotiations between milk industry and milk organization of the French farmer's association. The annual average price is to be at 28 cent/litre. In the first three months of the year between 32 and 30 cent/litre were paid. That means according to the present agreement for the coming months milk prices around the 24-26 cent.
On Tuesday still the Minister of Agriculture Barnier had intervened and now the sum of 30 million euro for the milk sector assured. He did not specify to which period is to refer this sum. If one assumes the 30 million are available for 2009, then this means converted 0,13 cent/litre of milk.
Jean Louis Naveau of the EMB federation organization of the Producteurs de lait (OPL) commentates: „The result does not surprises us; it was to be expected that the conclusion will bring a much too low milk price. And this although both Prime Minister Fillon and Minister of Agriculture Barnier had announced in public that a price below the cost level was unacceptable.“ Naveau supplements: „The dairies argued that milk would come from other European countries to France, if one pays a higher milk price. For us that means clearly that it needs another European policy. If necessary a European milk strike must produce the necessary pressure for this.“ Further: „A change on political level would be besides very helpful; Sunday will show, which new possibilities to be opened. “
