EU Member States highlighted that the pig farming and dairy sectors have faced critical situation during last months. In the majority of the Member States the law prices are not covering production costs, therefore many producers are threatened by insolvency. Ministers agreed that existing crisis management instruments are ineffective. Member States would like to see greater efforts by the Commission to find other export opportunities, re-open Russian market and use existing crisis management tools in a more effective way.
Zsolt Feldman, Deputy State Secretary for Agricultural Economy emphasized the difficult situation of pig farming and dairy sectors. Among the EU-28 raw milk prices show the major decrease (20 per cent) in Hungary during the last 12 months. Hungary agreed with other Member States that it is necessary to reintroduce private storage aid for pigmeat and increase intervention prices of the dairy sector. Improving the efficiency of the EU safety net is also important, because existing crisis management measures seems to be ineffective.
Commissioner Phil Hogan said that any possible solution must be consistence with the Common Agricultural Policy and the Multiannual Financial Framework.
The Dutch Presidency will put this point on the agenda of the next AGRIFISH Council, on 14th March, 2016.
