Farmers protest at milk prices

EUROPEAN farmers angry over a collapse in milk prices threw eggs, burned tyres and hay and poured milk onto the streets of Brussels yesterday.

The protest came as agriculture ministers met in emergency session with Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel to discuss the crisis in the industry.

About 200 tractors snaked their way through the city to join 1,500 protesters, with some of the farmers hurling eggs and chestnuts at EU buildings.

Riot police manned barbed-wire barricades and a police helicopter hovered overhead. There were no clashes, although Flemish television reported scuffles with police outside the capital.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith, who attended the meeting, convened by the Swedish EU presidency, said he was pleased the discussion focused on two aspects.

One was the immediate situation facing producers and the second was the medium term measures to be put in place to manage the market and deal with volatility in the run up to the ending of milk quotas and beyond.

He welcomed the establishment of a high-level group of member states to examine the type of arrangements to be put in place.

Ms Fischer Boel said the high-level group on milk will be chaired by the Commission’s director-general for agriculture and rural development, Jean-Luc Demarty, and will be composed of member state representatives. It will begin work next week.