EU dairy farmers protested before the European Parliament
Dairy farmers rallied to protest in Brussels on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, the same day that the regime of milk quotas expired. Farmers sprayed fresh milk at the European Union's Parliament.
The milk quota was established in 1984, when the EU production far outstripped demand. Although its removal has been progressive since 2003, farmers now fear production will no longer be based on the amount of milk being consumed, and that this could mean the arrival of cheap surplus milk to the European market.
"With quotas being lifted, we're really scared that production is going to explode and we won't be able to pay our costs anymore," Belgian milk farmer Yvan Deknudt told AFP.
The Eur. Milk Board showed their unhappiness w/ the #MilkQuotaEnd outside parliament in Brussels this afternoon pic.twitter.com/zjayadDsta
— Melanie Epp (@Consuming_Copy) March 31, 2015
Meanwhile, the EU wants to encourage farmers to compete with international producers, mainly from the US and Australia, in order to target Asian markets.
The European Commission confessed that there would be a “certain volatility in price” in the short-term, but pointed out that 90% of the dairy production is already sold outside the EU.
The European Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development Phil Hogan also stressed the potential of ending the quotas.
"The end of the milk quota regime is both a challenge and an opportunity for the Union. It is a challenge because an entire generation of dairy farmers will have to live under completely new circumstances and volatility will surely accompany them along the road. But it certainly is an opportunity in terms of growth and jobs,” he said.
A video on the milk quotas in the EU from the European Commision: