Concerned at falling milk  prices and rising input costs across the bloc, dairy farmers from a number of EU countries converged in Brussels on Monday (26thNovember) to voice their discontent.

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The European Milk Board organised the 1,000 Tractors to Brussels protest, which has seen thousands of farmers disrupt traffic in the Belgian capital, surrounded EU headquarters with tractors and stage a noise demonstration, ringing bells and setting off bird-scarers. Angry farmers also hosed the European parliament, and police guarding parliament buildings, with milk. The EMB represents farmers in 14 member states.

The disruption is part of a two day protest against inequitable practices in the dairy industry. Whilst Monday’s protests culminated in farmers setting light to a trailer of hay in the Place du Luxembourg, the organisers said Tuesday’s protests will be calmer.   

The demonstrating farmers are seeking EU intervention, as farm-gate milk prices across the bloc have fallen below the cost of production. In the UK, where protests and blockades over the summer led to the withdrawal of proposed cuts that would have seen prices fall 5 pence per litre below production costs, producers are still losing an estimated 1ppl on milk.

The protests taking place this week have been planned to coincide with EU agriculture ministers’ meeting taking place on Wednesday and Thursday (28th – 29th November). Protesting farmers arrived in Belgium from France, Germany and the Netherlands on Monday. The protestors are seeking rises of up to 25 percent in the price they are paid for milk.  

In a report going before ministers this week, rapporteurs from the EU’s High Level Group on Milk suggest the EU should introduce guidelines or legislation to address inequalities in the dairy supply chain. The group suggested contractual relationships between relatively powerless milk producers and wealthy processors and retailers is leading to exploitation. Many in government and industry have suggested producers for cooperatives to better promote their interests and enable them to stand in solidarity with fellow producers.  

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