The first French union representing French farmers, the FNSEA, asks the EU to " encourage producers to reduce their volume by 2 to 5% " of milk to cope with the severe market disruptions caused by the coronavirus crisis.
Read also: The milk sector cuts its production by 5%
" We must support farmers who will reduce their volumes, because no one had foreseen the coronavirus, no one had foreseen this pandemic and the consequences of disruption of the markets that we know " declared the president of the FNSEA Christiane Lambert on France Inter Friday.
" We have made a regulatory proposal to encourage producers to reduce their volume by 2 to 5% during the peak production period " she said, while Europe is crumbling under the milk and prices are falling since the start of the coronavirus crisis, which has led to the closure of almost all restaurants in Europe, and disrupted export markets.
According to her, the regulation should also apply to other sectors such as producers of ducks or potatoes, which " do not sell anything any more " since the crisis. " No one makes fries at home, " noted Christiane Lambert. Since the closure of fast food in particular, " potato producers have tons of potatoes on their hands, " she said.
Returning to milk, she recalled that " Europe made the choice in 2014 to abolish milk quotas ". " It is a European choice, France was the last country to resist, we wanted to keep the regulation, " she said.
The surplus of milk occurs at the time of the annual peak of milk production throughout Europe. In March-April, the growth of grass and the birth of calves induce an increase in milk volumes each year (+ 9% in France, editor's note).
Ms. Lambert nonetheless defended exports. France exports 40% of its milk.
" We cannot be closed to exports, " she said. " France is exporting milk and will continue to export milk because there is a market," she added, citing milk powder in China, and dairy products in countries " on the Mediterranean coast " who " cannot produce them at home ".
