Coveney urges EC to stabilise dairy markets
He said it is important, however, that these measures are undertaken at the right time and at price levels that positively support the market.
Mr Coveney was speaking during a debate on the future of the dairy market at the Council of EU Agriculture Ministers yesterday.
“While the positive underlying dynamic of increasing global population and demand remains, European Union dairy farmers are vulnerable and acutely affected by temporary but significant market pressures,” he said.
“Instruments such as Aids to Private Storage, Intervention, Export Refunds and Exceptional Measures are designed to deal with temporary troughs in price.
“These tools should be deployed, at the appropriate time, to ensure they have maximum effect and that they place a real floor under the market, should that be necessary in the New Year.”
Noting that 2015 will be a difficult year for dairy farms already affected by geopolitical and market factors beyond their control, Mr Coveney also called on the Commission to take action to mitigate the impact of super levy fines.
“I would certainly be strongly supportive of a facility to phase the burden of superlevy payments over an extended time frame, in what will already be a difficult year for the sector,” said Mr Coveney.
