In response to the result of the latest milk auction Ulster Unionist MEP, Jim Nicholson, has said:
“Many were predicting a further fall in this week’s United Dairy Farmers auction price, the fall to 21.81ppl is however even greater than many had predicted. This result puts further pressure on our milk producers who have already been finding it difficult given the slide in prices in recent months.
Earlier this week in Brussels I raised the issue of falling milk prices with the Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos and asked for guarantees that both he and the Commission were monitoring the situation in the dairy markets closely. To help ensure that previous mistakes are not repeated I have also written to the Commissioner to make it clear that on this occasion the Commission must be prepared to take the right action at the right time, this is particularly important as compared to previous periods of falling milk prices the current costs of production are higher.”