- Title: BELGIUM: Belgian dairy farmers join French milk strike call
- Date: 12th September 2009
- Summary: CHARLEROI, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 11, 2009) (REUTERS) TRACTORS ARRIVING IN CENTRE OF TOWN PLACARD READING 'WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES A RIGHT, RESISTANCE BECOMES A DUTY' (French) MILK BOTTLES IN FRONT OF TRACTOR IN FRONT OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FARMER TAKING MILK FROM TRACTOR WITH A CONCRETE COW PAINTED IN BELGIAN COLOURS FARMERS WITH A COW IN FRONT OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FARME
- Embargoed: 27th September 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Belgium
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Industry,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA357FD02OO99B2WRJ1H9WWAWI1
- Story Text: Belgian farmers poured milk in the central square of the town of Charleroi on Friday (September 11) in response to a call by the Milk Producers Interest group on Thursday to hold a milk strike.
The European Milk Board, a grouping of dairy farmers in the European Union, issued a statement on its website announcing a "farmers' revolt" for what they say is inaction from their national governments for refusing to deal with the collapse of the milk market and falling prices.
Farmers in Paris on Thursday called on the EU to overhal agricultural policy by initiating medium-term measures for flexible, demand-driven supply control and reduce milk volumes to restore prices.
The French dairy unions OPL and APLI had called on on producers to drain their milk and not deliver to dairies, after the Paris meeting with the European Milk Board (EMB).
In other parts of Belgium dairy farmers gave free milk outside of shops.
Although the protest was not widespread the producers say they hope it will gain ground. One farmer said he was at the end of his tether and felt his voice was not being heard.
"We have come here because we have had enough. We decided to take control of our fate. At the moment, milk is at 18 cents... we've done all we could but politicians don't want to listen," said dairy farmer Francis van Looveren.
The protesting farmers are hoping the threat of shortages in shops in the coming days will prompt a swift response from the French and EU authorities.
The EMB is calling for prices paid to farmers to be raised to 40 euro cents a litre, compared with lows of around 20 cents this year, to bring prices above production costs, and for the EU to freeze planned increases in milk quotas.
After a price spike in 2007, global dairy markets have deteriorated sharply over the past year, fuelling protests by farmers in France and several other European countries.
The potential impact of the milk strike is unclear given that France's main farm union, the FNSEA, opposes it.
The EMB's German president, Romuald Schaber, and representatives from the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Luxembourg said they would personally join in the milk strike.
But they stopped short of calling for strikes outside France, with Schaber saying anti-cartel rules in Germany prevented a similar call there.
After joining forces with Germany this summer to call for additional regulatory support for dairy farmers, France's farm minister has been seeking the backing of other EU countries.
But the latest council of European farm ministers on Monday did not produce any new measures, prompting dairy farmers to harden their tone.
The European Commission has opposed calls for freezes to quota increases in the run-up to their planned abolition in 2015 and says it has already taken steps to shore up the dairy sector through moves such as export subsidies.
European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fishcer Boel said last week dairy prices in Europe were slowly starting to recover, with income benefits likely to filter down to farmers soon. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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