Milk cost study shows: There is a gap between production costs and producer prices

Overview published with the latest figures from France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands

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Milk strike 2009 - Nine years and counting!

Milk strikes were and continue to be the only radical solution to obtain cost-covering milk prices (45 cents per litre). This was a way for us to show our solidarity in the face of technocrats, politicians, the dairy industry and cooperatives.

We saw it as an investment in a better future for milk production. The strike did not…

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Irish dairy farmers feel financial squeeze from drought

September on Irish dairy farms would normally be a time when we would be enjoying the fruits of our Summer and preparing for the Autumn and Winter ahead. Bills incurred during the Spring would be paid and farmers would look with pride and reassurance on high rows of bales and full silage pits.

The long winter of 2017/18 meant…

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Newsletter August online!

I am greatly concerned to see how Europe is currently facing significant pressure – nationalistic forces internally and divisive motivations externally. I am convinced that there will only be losers if this very dangerous situation were to become even worse.

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Study shows success of the EU volume reduction scheme announced 2 years ago

(Brussels, 19.07.2018) Two years ago – on 18 July 2016 – European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan announced the EU volume reduction scheme for the dairy market. The measure was a great success and showed that even small reductions have a major effect on producer prices.

A study by A. Fink-Keßler and A. Trouvé examined…

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Current figures from Germany show: gap between production costs and milk price is further increasing

(Brussels, 16.07.2018) The quarterly cost figures for Germany are now available and show that cost coverage in April 2018 was only 78%, while it was 88% in January. Production costs in April amounted to 42.70 cents; however, producers only received 33.42 cents per kilogram of milk. This problematic combination of falling milk…

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Newsletter July online!

As newly elected member of the Executive Committee of the European Milk Board, I would like to draw your attention in my editorial on current issues in Ireland. Angers mounts as Ireland’s biggest Co-op underpays on May milk price.

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Drought causes discomfort for Europe's dairy farmers

Large parts of Europe have experienced major losses due to the continued heatwave. After a wet spring in countries like Ireland, the United Kingdom and France, the dry weather is now negatively affecting pastures, hay and silage production as well as cereal and straw production. As a consequence of the drought, milk producers…

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Newsletter June online!

It's a pleasant surprise when EU policy-makers propose positive developments: At the end of May, the European Parliament voted in favour of the report by Italian MEP Herbert Dorfmann on the 'Future of Food and Farming' and thus presented the Commission with a clear direction for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.

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Urgent recommendation

EU Agriculture Council should decide to use milk powder from intervention as animal feed

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