Deep divisions among states on reform of dairy policies

For the last four years, the Irish Farmers’ Association has played an active part in the lobbying effort to persuade EU institutions to ease some of the burden of superlevy on expanding dairy farmers before quota abolition, in light of the fast-expanding international dairy demand.

Today, the June EU Agriculture Council meeting will, for the first time, consider a definite proposal, put forward by the Greek presidency, to zero the negative butterfat corrector to reduce, though not eliminate, superlevy fines on dairy farmers for 2014/15.

While this could be seen as a lobbying victory, it is important to not pre-judge the council’s conclusions from their deliberations over the next two days.