Milk firms seek EU ‘road map’ to 2015

THE EU must continue to manage its dairy products market while dismantling its more-than-20-year-old milk quota system, warned the Irish Dairy Industries Association (IDIA) this week.

Michael Barry, Director of the representative association for milk processors, said their main concern is that the EU keep in place mechanisms to adjust to the cyclical nature of world dairy prices, during the quota reform process. Many of these mechanisms, such as export refunds, production aids, intervention, private storage and consumption aids have all but disappeared.

The IDIA says the 2008 CAP Health Check is the ideal opportunity for the European Commission to present a clear dairy plan, including the ending of quotas.