Dairy groups want EU to soften stance on superlevy fines

Dairy sector groups continue to lobby Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos for the EU to soften its stance on superlevy fines for the remaining 14 months of the quota era.

While farmer groups in some member states still hold out hope of some relief in relation to the butterfat adjustment, the EU has insisted it will not change its rules to offer a “soft landing” prior to the end of the milk quota era in April 2015.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney led a group of member states which last week pushed for a butterfat adjustment to ease some of the pressure on dairy farmers. He was supported by agriculture ministers from Britain, Germany, Luxembourg and Denmark.