ICMSA hold Dairy protest outside EU offices

national | eu | news report

Friday March 20, 2009 18:49

by Paula Geraghty

Leading a group of dairy farmers from all over Ireland in a protest/occupation of the EU Commission's offices in Dawson Street, the President of ICMSA, Jackie Cahill, said that the dairy policy being operated by the EU has actually reduced Europe's to producing milk below the cost of production and left farmers with no income at precisely the same time as they are having to re-pay loans taken out to comply with the massive demands made by EU Nitrates Regulations. Mr Cahill said that the EU dairy policy was now inflicting long term, structural damage on Ireland's dairy industry and the wider agri-food sector so vital in any co-ordinated attempt to re-build our exporting sector.

The protest held yesterday had over 60 farmers and one lovely heifer.

The press release continues:
"The EU has so comprehensively mismanaged the Union's dairy market that virtually all EU farmers are now producing milk at below-cost production. In Ireland, as prices slip back to 23 cents per litre, we now have a situation where the costs of production are 3 cent higher than the price farmers receive. In the face of this catastrophic mishandling, we still have the EU Commission talking about 'a soft landing' and de-regulation. De-regulation, in this context, means only one thing: even lower prices and even more volatility. The Commission is recklessly undermining a vital part of our food industry - not just in Ireland but across Europe", said Mr Cahill.

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