Over 48,000 EU farmers to reduce milk production

Farmers could apply for this scheme, agreeing to voluntarily reduce their production of milk by nearly 861,000 t in the last quarter of 2016 and in January 2017.

With final figures received today from Member States for the second reduction period (November 2016 to January 2017), we can now provide the full overview of this exceptional, one off scheme launched by the European Commission (for both the 1st and 2nd reduction periods): 48,288 milk producers reached a total production reduction of 860,907 tonnes of milk. The scheme’s wide take-up shows that it responded to farmers’ needs.

The EU milk production reduction scheme, launched last summer and financed with €150 million, was one of the flagship measures decided by the European Commission to face the milk crisis. It contributed to rising trends in EU milk prices these last few months, bringing markets closer to balance. Under the scheme, farmers receive €0.14 for every kilogramme of milk production they agree to reduce. Farmers are paid on the basis of the actual reduction in production and not the planned amount applied for, based on proof of the actual reduction provided to their national authority.

[Source: European Commission]