Angry Czech farmers not crying over spilt milk

Protesting farmers spray milk on a field near the city of Jihlava in the Czech Republic. Photo / AP

PRAGUE: - Farmers sprayed milk on to fields across the Czech Republic yesterday to protest at low prices.

Agriculture authorities said farmers planned to dump up to 500,000 litres of milk, or 7 per cent of their daily production.

Farmers complain milk prices are too low for them to survive. They receive below 20 euro cents (40c) for a litre, but they say a fair price would be at closer to 40 euro cents.

The farming leader has warned that around 40,000 jobs could be lost in the next two years if the situation is not improved.

Thousands of farmers across the 27-nation EU are facing a financial crunch because of collapsed milk prices and seek more EU help and quotas to artificially drive up milk prices.

The European Union agreed last week to give the dairy sector an extra €280 million ($568 million) in special aid, to stave off further protest. The decision also included rules that could limit milk production at a national level to push up prices.

The EU's farm and rural development budget for next year, which covers milk farmers, is €52 billion..

But Czech farmers claim the help is not sufficient."We can't afford to face such a situation anymore," farmer Josef Kovar said. "It's liquidation."

- AP