Mass Protests Over Post Quota Production Cuts Hit Berlin Streets
EU - Dairy farmers from across Europe descended on Berlin to protest against Germany’s continued lack of support for voluntary production cuts.
10 June 2013
1 minute read
Hundreds of producers and representatives from dairy organisations, including the European Milk Board, demanded that the German government allows vital milk supply instruments to be approved in the EU chamber.
Passing the production cuts legislation will save the sector at a time of economic volatility, said European Milk Board President, Romuald Schaber.
"With the instrument of voluntary production cuts producers are rewarded for their behaviour in line with the market situation, in order to prevent crises and save public money. In the current climate of economic hardship and an extremely tense budgetary situation in most of the Member States, instruments such as voluntary production cuts offer a feasible and financially viable solution.
“For this reason, European farmers and consumers do not understand why the German government does not seize this opportunity. This is why so many producers came to Berlin yesterday and today in order to demonstrate and express their discontent."
The actions of the massed protesters, who met in Berlin last week, resulted in a 50 metre wall of hay bales being built which was then symbolically torn down made farmers and the EMB to represent the obstruction that German Ministers were causing.
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