European farm commissioner, Phil Hogan, has told Pig World that he’s “disappointed” the private storage scheme he put in place for pigmeat earlier this year hasn’t delivered a greater boost to prices.
Speaking during a visit to Scotland, the commissioner said he’d expected prices to rise more than they did given the “considerable amount of product that was withdrawn from the market” during the storage period. He also noted, however, that stored product “you must remember” always has to come back onto the market at some time.
Also questioned on the continued existence of the Russian ban on pigmeat imports from the EU, Mr Hogan said: “We have largely replaced the pigmeat products that were going to Russia by sales to the Philippines, although we’re not getting the same price, of course.”
As for the potential lifting of the ban, he added that president Putin’s planned review of the situation in early August, would hopefully give a “clearer view” of prospects.
Unfair supply chain
Pig World also asked the commissioner where he stood on Copa-cogeca’s call for a stamping out of unfair and abusive supply chain practices.
“I agree with them,” he said, adding that a study was currently being carried out to try to collect the evidence to support what Copa-cogeca was saying.
“We are also watching very carefully what’s happening in the UK in relation to the work of the groceries code adjudicator and a similar programme in Spain,” he said. “At the same, you have to balance these developments with the rights of consumers to shop around.”
While adding that he didn’t want to see “harmonised EU rules” being introduced to counter the problems that exist, Mr Hogan concluded that some form of “framework” agreement might be needed to ensure a level playing field was created across Europe on supply chain issues.
Headline image shows Phil Hogan (left) talking to Scotland’s farm minister Richard Lochhead during last week’s Royal Highland Show
