Dairy farmers descended on Brussels on Monday to protest the EU Council’s decision to put powdered milk back on sale, following “encouraging signals” from the market.

Farmers protesting the decision to begin selling the stored milk powder sprayed milk powder at the Council buildings, set off flares and dumped powder outside the offices where a meeting of EU agriculture ministers and the EU Commissioner was to take place, calling on the EU to dispose of stored milk power it took off the market as part of a raft of emergency measures to stabilise prices.

Processors have been increasing milk prices - in some cases for six months consecutively - since dairy prices recovered last year. The EU Commission introduced support measures in September 2015 and March 2016 to deflect the worst impacts of the dairy crisis, including buying up double the amount of butter and milk powder to stop prices collapsing.  

EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan said he found the protests “Difficult to understand” given the rising prices and the role the Commission played in alleviating the crisis. He said the average milk price across Europe is now as high as it was before EU milk quotas ended in April 2015.

Farmers in Brussels fear that the sale of stored milk powder will affect the fragile market.