LRT EBU | Lithuania Farmers Protest

LRT © 2016The Lithuanian Milk Producers association staged a colorful protest on Wednesday urging the government to solve problems plaguing dairy sector. The demonstration in the center of capital Vilnius drew thousands of protesters. Farmers brought a cow’s skeleton in a car trailer to the site of the picket and some of the protesters disguised as cows. Milk producers complained about law processing prices and demanded the goverment to help. The Lithuanian Parliament last week passed legislative amendments providing for regulation of milk prices. This, however, drew a negative response from many milk processing companies and some dairy farmers. Dairy farmers should be paid 18 million euros in compensation from the budget early in April. In February, Lithuania asked the European Commission to provide additional 75 million euros in support for the country’s dairy sector SHOTLIST Sound bite (Lithuanian), protester: Prices are below low, today we get around 18 cents per litre, we make ecological milk and others who make simple milk get 16 or 15 cents. It is almost two times less than it cost to make. Sound bite (Lithuanian), BRONIUS MARKAUSKAS, Deputy Chief of House of Agriculture that unites Farmers associations: In our opinion Ministry of Agriculture should prepare a formula that would clearly indicate what part of the price should go to the farmer and what part should get processor and seller. Sound bite (Lithuanian), VIRGINIJA BALTRAITIENE, Minister of Agriculture: When we meet European commission, commissioner of agriculture, every time we repeat that the worst situation is in Lithuania. Not without a reason Lithuania last year did get a support from European commission for two times while other countries did get it one time. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia did get a special support. We expect the same for this period as well.