NEW insights into mountain farming in the European Union are outlined by the European Commission in a document launched by Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel at a conference in Austria.

A 40-YEAR-OLD Romanian horticultural engineer and politician, Dr Dacian Ciolos, is the new European Commissioner designate for agriculture and rural development.

POLITICAL pressure looks likely to force Taoiseach Brian Cowen to increase the Government’s €10 million humanitarian fund while the Irish Red Cross has appealed for help to distribute hot meals and blankets to flood victims.

IRISH farmers were in Brussels to outline the scale of the flooding that turned thousands of acres into vast lakes across the country to European Union agriculture and rural development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

AN end to a “business as usual” approach to fighting world hunger was sought by Ireland at the UN World Food Summit in Rome yesterday.

THERE is a potential problem if prices paid to farmers are low while food prices in the shops are high, European Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has warned.

THE €11 million for Irish dairy farmers announced by European Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel is a totally inadequate response to the crisis they are facing, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association.

IRISH farmers would need the entire €280 million aid package on offer to EU dairy farmers this year to bring them back to profit, not the €11m they stand to receive, according to a farmers’ representative.

EU officials have agreed a €280m aid package to help dairy farmers hit by falling milk prices.

PEOPLE interested in the future of farming have been urged by EU commissioner for agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel to look at the area of risk management.

THE European Commission has proposed two changes to the rules governing the dairy sector as part of its continuing efforts to stabilise the milk market.

FARMER protests are set to escalate across Europe, after the only decision taken by agriculture ministers in Brussels, was to give a panel of experts nine months to report back on the dairy crisis.

A CONSULTATIVE group to advise him on medium and long term measures for the dairy sector is to be set up by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith.

THE umbrella bodies for European farmers and co-ops, said it was disappointed the European Commission had failed at a special informal meeting in Brussels this week to propose further action to help solve the crisis facing milk producers.

EUROPEAN farmers angry over a collapse in milk prices threw eggs, burned tyres and hay and poured milk onto the streets of Brussels yesterday.

THE Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must be re-shaped in order to diversify and build a truly resilient rural economy.

THE obesity battle is being brought to the school gate with Ireland chosen as one of seven EU countries where a roadshow on the benefits of better eating and more exercise for children will be rolled out.

AN initiative by the Swedish presidency of the European Union to set up a special farm council meeting on October 5 to discuss the dairy crisis was welcomed yesterday.

SUPPORT to help the European dairy sector through the current crisis is already bearing fruit.

CHEAPER animal feed, particularly for pig and poultry farmers, will be one of Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel’s objectives before she steps down later this year.

EU DAIRY farmer protests escalated this week — even as signs of stronger international dairy product markets emerged.

EUROPEAN agriculture and rural development commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, who has announced she will not seek a second term in the office, declared yesterday it was not an easy decision.

MANY farmers will go out of business while waiting for EU politicians to take action, said IFA president Pádraig Walshe after EU agriculture ministers made no new moves to help dairy farmers at their meeting last Monday.

AFTER nearly 40 years of relative prosperity in the EU, farmers are taking the Lisbon No campaign warning of tough times ahead for agriculture with a big pinch of salt.

SUGGESTIONS from French and German ministers that milk quotas should be managed at individual producer level on a compulsory basis in every member state was described as totally unacceptable yesterday by the Irish Farmers Association.

A TWO-DAY meeting of 35 trade ministers of the WTO-member countries began in New Delhi yesterday amid tight security.

MANY farming families are struggling to survive as a result of the dire situation in dairy markets, according to MEP Máiréad McGuinness.

EVERY American farmer is talking about cap and trade, the US plan to lower carbon emissions.

AFTER the August break, it was back to work in Brussels yesterday “batteries fully charged and sleeves rolled up” for European Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel.

FURTHER steps are being taken by European Union agriculture ministers including Ireland’s Brendan Smith to reduce the level of red tape for farmers.

THE wet weather has led to the postponement of Sunday’s agricultural show in Ballingeary, Co Cork, but Limerick Show will go ahead as scheduled on the same day at Greenpark Racecourse in Patrickswell, Co Limerick.

THE battle is already under way in Europe to protect the high level of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments to Irish farmers for the period 2013-2021.

FURTHER steps have been taken by the European Commission to help stabilise the difficult dairy markets.

A new European Commission report out today has rejected farmers’ demands to impose tougher milk production quotas.

DEMANDS from France and Germany that milk quotas be frozen or cut are expected to be rejected by the European Commission today.

A SELL-OUT of the dairy sector in world trade talks is the real agenda behind the dismantling of milk quotas by the European Commission, the leader of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association Jackie Cahill has claimed.

THE dairy sector is heading for disaster if milk prices stay at their current historically low level, European agriculture and rural development commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has admitted.

THE Competition Authority has confirmed that retailers are pressuring suppliers – including the top Irish food firms – for better deals.

Curvy cucumbers and knobbly carrots return to supermarket shelves tomorrow thanks to the abolition of EU rules on the size and shape of 36 types of fruit and veg.

EU shop prices for milk jumped 17% from mid-2007 to mid-2008, and have fallen back only 2% since – even though the milk price paid to farmers has halved.

DAIRY products now share the spotlight in Europe with the Lisbon Treaty, the Iran election, and climate change.

EUROPEAN heads of government want proposals brought forward to stabilise dairy incomes within two months.

DAIRY farmers from all over Europe will be in Cork next week for the European Dairy Farmers (EDF) Congress.

THE Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association has claimed the European Commission accepts that milk prices will not recover in the short term.