Austrian dairy farmers join milk strike
(VIENNA) - Austrian dairy farmers are on strike to protest falling milk prices, the country's dairy association IG Milch announced Saturday.
The association was responding to a call by French farmers on Thursday to halt milk deliveries due to plummeting milk prices.
Milk deliveries should stop immediately, IG Milch said at an agricultural fair in Ried, northern Austria, with separate actions including tractor drives and milk giveaways also planned as part of the "farmers' uprising".
Dairy prices have collapsed due to low demand caused by the economic crisis, dropping to half their price since 2007 in some countries.
According to IG Milch, 40 percent -- or 30,000 -- of French dairy farmers were already on strike.
German and Dutch milk producers said they supported the French call but were barred by law to go on strike in their countries.
IG Milch had already called in June 2008 for a halt to milk deliveries in Austria.
The small alpine country has about 40,000 dairy farmers.
The latest action comes after European Union farm ministers failed to agree on an aid package for the sector during a Brussels meeting on Monday.
In November, EU agriculture ministers agreed to lift milk production quotas by one percent per year before scrapping them for 2014-2015.
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has agreed to introduce limited aid but has refused to go back on its decision to scrap the quota system.
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