EU farm ministers have agreed to “look” at the introduction of additional measures for the pigmeat sector, following a major debate on current problems during Monday’s EU farm ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
Speaking after the meeting, however, EU farm commissioner, Phil Hogan, focused his attention more on the achievement of getting 77% of the EU’s former Russian-bound exports redirected to other markets. While he then added that he “acknowledged problems still exist” in relation to pigmeat prices, he also stressed that the price slide was only due partly to the Russian ban, with over-supplies clearly contributing to the decline in prices.
The other key message to emerge from the meeting was that any negotiations concerning the reopening of the Russian market to EU pig products must be carried out on a “united EU basis” with no scope for piecemeal country-by-country agreements.
Copa Cogeca, reacting immediately after the meeting, welcomed this declaration of “united action against the Russian export ban”.
On the sector’s pricing problems, however, Copa Cogeca voiced its “regret” at the EU Commission’s “failure today to open private storage for pigmeat sector”, ending with a warning to ministers that the market in the EU remained in a “critical situation”.