EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has warned Irish farmers that they must limit milk production in the final six weeks of the milk-production year or face a €50 million fine from the EU.
During a Dublin visit, he noted that Irish farmers have already reduced milk production by 15% in the past two months when compared with the same period last year, but with good weather boosting production in 2014, Ireland still risks producing volumes that are too high.
The cost would ultimately be shared out among the farmers, reducing individual incomes. The Commissioner did not see any way in which to mitigate the EU rules, which have been in place since 2008, telling The Irish Independent, "There is going to be no change in the rules and farmers will pay a 'super-levy' unless they reduce production between now and the end of March."
Hogan also made strong comments about his commitment to protect EU farmers as the EU-US trade deal talks (the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership) gain momentum, promising that, "There will be no 'chlorinated chicken' and no hormone beef given access to EU markets."
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
