Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “I welcome the fact that Ministers have agreed to look at increasing the EU milk intervention price to help put a floor in the market.
This is crucial to reflect rising production costs and stop putting downward pressure on the dairy market. It is also a positive step to create a high-level group to look at the future of the EU dairy sector and also to look at tools to deal with the increasing volatility on agriculture markets. We must be involved in this group. It is also good that the EU Commission will boost funds for EU promotion programmes and step up work to find new market outlets but this will take time. And I am disappointed that there is no talk of export credit insurance for the EU beef, pork and milk markets which we have longed called for. The package includes very few measures to help manage the market or deal with the increasing volatility and short term problems. I regret the lack of measures in the EU pigmeat sector and the fact that there was little talks on the problems facing the EU beef sector.Prices are below production costs in many countries and farmers’ incomes half the average level, forcing some to shut, which is very worrying also for consumers when food demand is set to rise by 60% by 2050. .Without farmers , there is no food”.
We held a mass demonstration of over 6000 farmers and 2000 tractors yesterday to show the EU Commission just how badly farmers are suffering from the bad situation hitting the EU agriculture market, especially in the EU pigmeat, dairy, fruit and vegetable and beef sectors. But we regret however the violence which was not caused by Copa and Cogeca or our members. This was not necessary and painted a bad and unfair picture of farmers and agri-cooperatives who do their best to supply the nations with quality, safe food. And we want to thank citizens for their patience and support during this difficult time.
