Government promises dairy sector help as milk prices plummet
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
07.10.2014 09:09
Poland will push for more aid from the EU, as Russia's embargo and lower prices on the world market hit Poland's dairy sector.
photo - wikipedia
The Ministry of Agriculture wrote in reply to a letter from the Polish Chamber of Milk that falling prices internationally was the cause of declining income for farmers in the sector.
Since the beginning of 2014, prices of skimmed powdered milk and butter have declined by some 30 percent and Edam-style cheese by 25 percent, the ministry wrote.
The wholesale price of milk has declined by 15.4 percent says the report and the Agricultural Market Agency expects a further fall.
The ministry added that Russia's import ban has also caused a fall in prices, by 10 percent in the case of milk and butter and by 6 percent in case of cheese.
The ministry vowed to press the European Commission to increase aid to the sector.
In late August, Poland asked the European Commission to lift levies imposed on member states for exceeding milk quotas in 2013/2014, not impose them in the following year, adjust the multiples used in the quotas and to introduce further aid to the dairy sector, the statement said.
The dairy producers' chamber sent its letter to the ministry at the end of August, stressing difficulties that the sector has to face in connection with Russia's embargo on food from the EU. (kw)
source: IAR