Food producers hit by fragile markets and excessive red tape, warns Copa
Leaders of Copa and Cogeca — the European umbrella bodies for both sectors — called for action to resolve the issues at a press briefing in Brussels, ahead of the Congress of European Farmers in Greece on this Wednesday and Thursday.
Copa president Martin Merrild said EU agriculture producers are being hit by low market prices and high input costs, as well as red tape.
He said the EU dairy and pork markets are starting to show signs of improvement, partly due to increased demand from China, but they remain in a fragile state.
“The EU grain sector is also now in a critical state. France was particularly badly hit with a big drop in wheat production of 30%,” he said. “Global cereal supply is at an all time high and global wheat prices are at their lowest level for 10 years.”
He stressed that input costs cannot continue to increase in the manner that they have, and he called on Brussels to press ahead with free trade agreements — which are beneficial to the EU agriculture sector.
The Copa Cogeca leader said that the EU is meanwhile getting on with CAP simplification in a bid to make life easier for farmers.
“But what is the real impact? 70% of farmers in a Danish survey said the worst thing about being a farmer is the bureaucracy,” said Mr Merrild.
“We welcome EU Commissioner Hogan’s simplification agenda but so far we haven’t seen tangible results for farmers.
“In the case of greening, the proposals for simplification that are being discussed will not make farmers’ lives simpler,” he said
Cogeca President Thomas Magnusson said the recently announced Cork declaration on rural development recognises the crucial role of farmers, forest owners and their co-operatives in providing solutions to current and future challenges.
