Cordoba Organisations Speak Out for Dairy Sector

SPAIN - Industry organisations from the Cordoba region in southern Spain have hosted a press conference to draw attention to the plight of the dairy sector and put forward plans to aid sector recovery.
calendar icon 12 December 2012
clock icon 2 minute read

At the conference the Cordoba branches of the Young Farmers Association, the Coordinators of Livestock and Farmers Organisations and the Union of Small Ranchers and Farmers (USRF) were present. The consensus of the three organisations was that more was needed to be done to safeguard Spanish dairy farming with respect to milk prices and imports.

The meeting, focusing on the Cordoba region, raised the issue of local awareness and the creation of a logo to symbolise the campaign.

President of the commonwealth of Pedroches, the region around Cordoba, Juan Diaz said his aim was for Pedroches consumers to recognise fair prices for milk and subsequently hopes to develop a sustainable model for the region.

The issues of production costs (0.38- 0.42 cents a kilo) and farmgate price (0.28 - 0.34 cents a kilo), strategic milk pricing on the shelf by large surpermarkets and the continued importing of over 30 per cent of the milk consumed in Spain were highlighted by Ignacio Fernandez de Mesa, the Chairman of Young Farmers as points that needed addressing.

Antonia Vigara, dairy speaker for the Coordinator of Livestock and Farmers Organisations reminded the press of how the margin beteen price and cost for farmers has caused 8 to 10 dairy farms to disappear daily since Septmember.

As well as a local consumer response the situation requires stringent commerical law enforcing and regulating processor and purchaser behaviour according to Miguel Cobos, USRF-Cordoba general secretary.

He stated that an extra cost of 10 cents down the supply chain will not offer customers problems but influence the Conusmer Prices Index and keep farms in production. He added that an arbitration system is necessary to balance the power between large processors and farmers.

Gabriel Pizarro, regional director of the Andalusian Business Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives brought proceedings to a close by explaining that a collective of all dairying stakeholders had been created.

This group is organising the demonstrations to be undertaken which will include a free delivery of the product and road closings which are planned in the coming days.

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