Standing before a demonstration at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Thursday, BDM President Romuald Schaber told farmers to begin deliveries in the evening because most retail chains had agreed to their price demands.
“The last bastions are falling,” Schaber said, noting however that if the creameries on the other side try to “take advantage of us in negotiations, then we’ll strike again.”
Discount supermarket chain Lidl agreed on Wednesday to raise milk prices by €0.10 per litre and butter prices by €0.20 per package. On Thursday dairy farmers increased pressure on other retailers with demonstrations across the country. Rewe, Netto and Plus grocery chains have also agreed to raise prices, according to the German farmer’s association DBV on Thursday.
Dairy farmers have engaged in the delivery boycott since May 27 to protest prices for milk they consider too low. Currently they are paid between €0.27 to €0.35 per litre, and have demanded an increase to €0.43 per litre.
Farmers have openly thrown the surplus milk down drains, fed it to their calves, or spread it over crops. Meanwhile some consumers had difficulty finding milk on grocery store shelves.
Dairy farmers across Europe have shown solidarity with the German strike.
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