Dairy sector crisis

EU agriculture ministers are set to meet in Council on Monday to discuss the ongoing crisis in the dairy sector. Commenting ahead of the Council, Green agriculture spokesperson Molly Scott Cato said:

"It was inevitable that we would be again facing a crisis in the dairy sector. In the absence of a more permanent and sustainable solution for the sector, the vicious circle of sinking prices and overproduction in the dairy sector was bound to continue, putting particular strain on the smaller, more sustainable dairy farmers. The end of the EU milk quotas in April have brought it to a head again, showing that the Commission's monitoring system is not up to the task.

"EU agriculture ministers clearly need to provide urgent assistance to those farmers hit by the crisis of overproduction and plummeting prices. However, without a more durable solution, the cycle will not end. The sector needs to be reoriented towards sustainable production, rather than continued industrialisation."