Dairy Farmers Fight Back Against Low Prices

On Thursday 12th November, dairy farmers held protests across Europe, highlighting the depth of the crisis facing the industry.

In Belfast, farmers handed out free milk to symbolise that they are producing at a loss, whilst in Germany, Switzerland and Spain, bonfires represented the dairy industry going up in smoke.

The protests were led by the European Milk Board (EMB) under the slogan “Your policy ruins dairy farmers”.

The organisation is calling on European agriculture ministers to implement its Market Responsibility Programme, which would give the option of voluntary supply restrictions when milk prices fall below production costs.

The EMB said that the price crisis is not a short-term fluctuation and farms cannot absorb the costs, adding that farm-gate prices in most EU countries are now about 10 to 20 cents below production costs.

The organisation added that these prices are the result of a short-sighted policy that is geared only to produce cheap raw materials for export instead of aspiring to sustainable solutions - read more. 

This week, we also featured a report from Melanie Jenkins, looking at the ways dairy farmers can deal with the extra costs of winter.

Feed comprises the biggest portion of production costs. The warm start to autumn and the lower grain prices this year have been favourable for producers, and good sileage yields should also help.

Producers may prefer to reduce concentrate use and suffer slightly lower yields, if they can retain milk bonuses for butterfat, protein and hygiene, Laurence Gould consultant James Miller said.

“Farmers should get as much from forage as possible – and keep a balanced view on cake because sometimes less is more.” - Read more.