Farm View: Europe’s dairy mega-merger risks weakening farmer power

Proposed merger of Arla Foods and Germany's DMK Group, which will unite more than 12,000 dairy farmers in Europe's largest dairy co-op, has come in for criticism from the European Milk Board

The merger is subject to regulatory approval and the backing in June of the board of representatives in each co-op.

Europe's new dairy co-op giant, after the Arla-DMK merger, will not be welcomed by some dairy farmers on the continent.

Co-ops have ceased to be the representatives of producers' interests they claim to be on paper, said Kjartan Poulsen, an Arla member, but also the president of the European Milk Board, which represents tens of thousands of dairy farmers through its 21 member organisations in 16 European countries (including ICMSA in Ireland).