THOUSANDS OF farmers demonstrated against low milk prices outside the EU Council of Ministers building in Luxembourg yesterday pelting officials with eggs and causing lengthy traffic jams.
Hundreds of tractors took part in the protests, which brought traffic to a halt on the main road between Brussels and Luxembourg just as EU farm ministers met to discuss the reform of farm policy.
Brandishing placards with phrases like “No food without farmers” and “Farmers in torment”, the farmers and tractors blocked much of Luxembourg’s EU quarter. They also burned a stack of hay outside the European Court of Justice, Europe’s highest court and opened the taps of a milk truck in front of the council of ministers’ building.
An IFA delegation with about 100 Irish farmers took part in the protest.
In the morning they got caught up in a long traffic jam but they made the main part of the demonstration in the afternoon, said IFA president Pádraig Walshe.
Mr Walsh, who was recently appointed president of the EU farm union Copa, said the protests were justified as farmers had the right to make their way to the demonstration.
He said there was an unruly element at the protest but denied a suggestion that he had been hit by a protester’s egg.
“We have been in a very severe crisis for several months now, especially in the milk sector, which has been hit like no other,” he said
“We must have an immediate response from our agriculture ministers – without farmers, there is no food. Unless urgent action is taken, the future of Europe’s food supplies could be at risk,” said Mr Walshe.
At the EU meeting, Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith asked the European Commission to introduce further steps to support Irish farmers and boost the price of dairy products.
He said the EU’s intervention purchases of butter and skimmed milk powder should be extended beyond their normal closing dates in August and the commission should act more effectively.
The price of dairy products has fallen substantially during the recent economic downturn as big firms find it difficult to raise money. There has also been a drop off in demand in China due to a tainted milk scandal.
However, a spokesman for the commission said it would be wrong to raise false expectations among farmers.
He said the commission had already taken a host of measures to support the milk sector and spent hundreds of millions of euro on intervention.
The commission is expected to complete a report on the sector shortly to investigate if further measures can be taken.