German farmer alliance calls for cooperation

Vice president Udo Folgart of the German dairy farmer union DBV is suggestion action on pricing up and down the supply chain. “We expect our dairies to also represent the interests of dairy farmers in price negotiations with the food retail sector. They should take their responsibility in the market for agriculture and dairy farmers seriously and not use low pricing strategies to cause the economic end of numerous innovative dairy farms,” he says.

He suggested an action alliance, where the dairy farmers, dairies and food retailing pull together to have a competitive, strong dairy industry. “The times where dairies undercut the prices during negotiations, must belong to the past,” Folgart says. “The marketing structures of dairies must allow negotiations with the food retail sector on equal terms.”