The IFA's National Dairy Committee Chairman was in Brussels this week to discuss the need for further dairy market support measures with his EU counterparts.

Sean O’Leary was in Brussels to attend the COPA Milk Group. The meeting took place before the EU Commission Civil Dialogue Group on milk, which reviewed EU market measures to deal with the major negative impact of the Russian ban on European dairy markets.

O'Leary said that farm organisations from across the EU have agreed on the need for strong, decisive measures from the EU Commission to turn around market sentiment and prices damaged by the Russian ban on EU imports. "We also had an absolute consensus on the need to fund those measures from non-CAP funds, in light of the fact that this is a geopolitical, not an agri-economic, crisis,” O’Leary said.

He said: “There is unanimous agreement that the intervention “safety net” levels need to be revalued to better reflect the evolution of production costs since the early 2000’s. Intervention at its current level is below all EU production costs and cannot therefore play any role in reversing the unsustainable milk prices being paid in most EU Member States.

"It was felt by all participants that an increased intervention buying-in price could very effectively and rapidly change market sentiment and help turn-around prices faster than just leaving it to global market forces."

Farm organisations across EU member states are also calling for the reopening of private storage for cheese, and the extension of all APS schemes, including the butter and SMP schemes, to match the one-year duration of the Russian ban on EU dairy exports.

Low prices and superlevy fines in the run up to the end of quotas was also discussed by COPA members. O'Leary said: "While this was not an issue for all, those farm organisations affected by it felt this very serious problem ought to be eased by either the removal of the butterfat adjustment, or an extended payment period for the final superlevy fine.”