German dairy farmers exiting industry due to rise of input costs

Ireland is the only profitable dairy country according to the European Milk Board study.

The European Milk Board says farmer producer organisations must be strong enough to negotiate with processors, and a socially sustainable Common Agricultural Policy, fair contracts, EU crisis instruments such as a Market Responsibility Programme, and "mirror clauses" on imported dairy products, are all necessary.

The European Milk Board says many milk producers have gone out of business, because they couldn't even cover their costs of production in recent years.

Now, as the EU milk supply shrinks, despite record high milk prices at the farm gate, it may be too late to stem the flow of farmers getting out of milk.