Milk Auction Brings Disappointment
UK - The Ulster Farmers’ Union says dairy farmers will be very disappointed with the outcome of today’s milk auction.
23 January 2009
1 minute read
45 million litres of milk sold for an average price of 18.5 pence per litre.
UFU Deputy President John Thompson said; "In the past week EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel proposed a wide range of market management tools to support the dairy sector. Dairy farmers need a significant boost in prices to try and cover their costs of production.
Unfortunately today we have seen the EU Dairy Management Committee in Brussels set export refunds at very conservative levels; and we have seen a very conservative response from local milk processors. It is good news that the slide in milk prices has been stopped, but this is nowhere near the increase in prices that dairy farmers had hoped for".
John Thompson added; "With export refunds restored, an enhanced intervention package introduced, private storage aid for butter already brought forward, a very favourable currency situation and stable retail markets for dairy products, dairy farmers will be questioning why milk processors are unable to generate a better return from the marketplace".
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