European Dairy Council - for reforms in the EU agricultural system and climate strategies

Last week, representatives from 12 European countries gathered at the European Dairy Council (EMB) General Assembly in Leuven, Belgium, to jointly discuss key decisions regarding the dairy sector.

The EMB said the mistakes made in the EU's agricultural sector are "becoming more and more evident".

it was stated at the assembly that MILK production is already declining in countries that are important producers, as for many years the costs have not been recovered and this is forcing dairy farmers to stop production. Against this background, representatives of European milk producers said that the development strategy needs to be changed in order to guarantee the future of the industry and dairy farms.

EMB said that in addition to the existing price pressures caused by the existing export-import strategy, there is also revenue pressure created by environmental strategies such as the Green Deal and Farm to Fork.

Representatives of milk producers present at the meeting emphasized the need to take measures to protect the environment and the climate, but said that they should be thoughtful.

The General Assembly unanimously concluded that decisions taken in the dairy sector should create a general framework that guarantees a producer price that covers costs.

Dairy representatives present emphasized the need for tools to temporarily limit production during a crisis, as well as policies focused on reliable financing to ensure production stability. For the agricultural sector, this means that all production costs, including the costs of ensuring stability, must be covered, and not passed on to producers.

EMB President Sieta van Keympema said: “The EU's sustainable development strategies must also adapt as they are implemented. We, like everyone else, want climate policy because we, the farmers, are the first to feel the impact of climate change. But the measures must be those that we can afford and they must be really effective for the environment and the climate.”

PioneerProduct based on dairyreporter.com