E-coli outbreak has cost farmers on the Continent €300m per week

THE German food scare has cost Continental farmers more than €300m per week, according to fresh produce industry estimates.

Meanwhile, arable crop growers in several countries expect a 8% to 15% reduction in yield potential due to drought, which has also hit livestock farmers hard.

Copa-Cogeca, representing farmers and co-ops, wrote this week to EU Agriculture Commissioner Ciolos and Agriculture Council President Fazekas. Highlighting the fruit and vegetable and drought situations, they said all cucumbers grown in Germany last week were destroyed. Although the source of a bacterial outbreak that killed at least 25 may never be found, Russia banned all EU fruit and vegetables imports, and EU farmers were, at best, being paid well below production cost for their fruit and vegetables. According to Copa-Cogeca, cucumber prices fell last week to 5 cent compared to a five-year average of 21c. Tomatoes were 13c compared to 60c; lettuce 5c compared to 70c; and green and red peppers 50c compared to 120c. Stone fruit prices also fell.