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FARMING

German dairy farmers ask for EU aid

German farmers have asked for European Union aid in the face of rising production costs at the German Farming Day - an agricultural gathering - in Berlin on Monday.

Published: 30 June 2008 17:43 CEST
German dairy farmers ask for EU aid

Dairy farmers in particular feel they are being “covered by an avalanche of costs,” said Gerd Sonnleitner, head of German farmer’s association DBV, who added that fertilizer and feed prices have increased by one-fifth in the last year.

DBV suggested that the EU Commission support dairy farmers and asked the German government to lower diesel prices for agriculture, but the EU rejected the request, saying more money is needed to create clean energy and fight climate change.

“I will fight this with all practical means,” said German agriculture minister Horst Seehofer, saying he would advocate an EU aid contribution of €660 million to €700 million for 2009.

DBV’s aid request is meant to soften the effects of the milk quota removal in 2015. A quota increase this spring is one reason farmers believe milk prices are sinking.

German dairy farmers staged a 10-day delivery strike in May to encourage higher milk prices to make up for increasing production costs. As a result, many grocery chains agreed to raise milk prices so that creameries could pay the farmers more for their milk.

POLITICS

France vows to block EU-South America trade deal in current form

France has vowed to prevent a trade deal between the European Union and the South American Mercosur bloc from being signed with its current terms, as the country is rocked by farmer protests.

Published: 31 January 2024 15:46 CET
France vows to block EU-South America trade deal in current form

The trade deal, which would include agricultural powers Argentina and Brazil, is among a litany of complaints by farmers in France and elsewhere in Europe who have been blocking roads to demand better conditions for their sector.

They fear it would further depress their produce prices amid increased competition from exporting nations that are not bound by strict and costly EU environmental laws.

READ ALSO Should I cancel my trip to France because of farmers’ protests?

“This Mercosur deal, as it stands, is not good for our farmers. It cannot be signed as is, it won’t be signed as is,” Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told broadcasters CNews and Europe 1.

The European Commission acknowledged on Tuesday that the conditions to conclude the deal with Mercosur, which also includes Paraguay and Uruguay, “are not quite there yet”.

The talks, however, are continuing, the commission said.

READ ALSO 5 minutes to understand French farmer protests

President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that France opposes the deal because it “doesn’t make Mercosur farmers and companies abide by the same rules as ours”.

The EU and the South American nations have been negotiating since 2000.

The contours of a deal were agreed in 2019, but a final version still needs to be ratified.

The accord aims to cut import tariffs on – mostly European – industrial and pharmaceutical goods, and on agricultural products.

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