Dairy farmers protest in Brussels for fair milk prices
© European Milk Board About 150 European dairy farmers staged a protest at the heart of Brussels to demand fairness in the agricultural sector.
Dairy farmers from at least five EU member states took part in the peaceful demonstration on Monday 27 May under the slogan “Fair income for farmers now”.
Protesting farmers wheeled life-size plastic cows bearing the flags of Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Denmark and Latvia, and the EU flag as they marched between the headquarters of the European Parliament and the Commission.
See also: From Brussels to Ireland, European farmers step up protests
The protest was organised by the European Milk Board (EMB), an umbrella organisation for European dairy farmers from over 15 countries.
In some countries, dairy farmers are being paid prices below the cost of production.
The farmers are demanding EU-wide regulation that prohibits the sale of dairy products at prices below the cost of production, including a ban on selling products below cost at all stages of the purchasing chain.
EU elections
Monday’s protest was timed to coincide with the meeting of the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the upcoming European elections and the lead-up to World Milk Day on Saturday 1 June.
EMB president Kjartan Poulsen, from Denmark, said: “We have been seeing farmer protests across Europe for months. It is clear: the agricultural system must be reformed.
“A fair agricultural system, a fair income, that must be the goal of the reforms. It is no longer enough to sidestep the issues – we must get to the root of the problem and bring about real changes.”