Milk protests rage on

Aug 05, 2008
In association with BNS

VILNIUS- Lithuanianfarmers are planning to stage rallies outside the country's largest dairy companies on Aug. 5 in protest of the recent decrease in milk purchasing prices.

Milk producers will protest outside five milk processing companies: Rokiskio Suris, Pieno Zvaigzdes, Zemaitijos Pienas, Vilkyskiu Pienine and Marijampoles Pieno Konservai, at 11 a.m. local time, Bronius Markauskas, president of the Chamber of Agriculture stated.

In Markauskas' words, about 100 tractors would be parked outside each company, with no plans to interfere with their operations.

Representatives of the dairy companies, most of which ended the first half of 2008 in negative territory, say that the farmers' protest rallies would not change the milk purchasing prices in the country because the companies did not have the reserves for raising the prices.

Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas has said that the disagreements between the milk producers and processors should be solved through a goodwill agreement between parties rather than protests and rallies.

In considering the discontent of farmers, the government plans to carry out an independent audit of pricing of producers, dairies and trade companies.

In an effort to draw the attention of the administration and the society to the complex situation in the country's milk sector, milk farmers distributed milk for free outside the parliament inVilnius in the end of June.

Similar rallies and demonstrations have been held in Latvia as well. As of yet, no solutions have been adopted.