Recently, the Russian government has imposed a ban on the import of agricultural products from Europe, and also decided to destroy them on the border. The Presidential Decree comes into force today, on August 6, few hundred tonnes of the banned products will be destroyed. The European farmers are still counting the damage from the Russian food embargo. Purchasing prices for meat and milk have been decreasing in recent months, until their collapse over the brink of return on farms. 25 thousand farms face a real threat of bankruptcy. Informal numbers are twice as big. There are demonstrations of the dissatisfied farmers across Europe. In Estonia, the farmers want to go to the rally in September, according to RBC, they require assistance from the government of the country in the amount of 7 million euros. In late July, the French farmers blocked roads on the borders, protesting against low prices and cheap imports, and British milk producers in protest against lower prices have emptied supermarket shelves with their products.
The Chairman of the Walloon Federation of Agriculture, Daniel Kulonval, says There is competition between the European countries in order to find these markets. "There is competition between all countries, and this is a real problem. Today, each EU country must find a solution for their own country. And we need to find export markets and try between the countries of Europe And so the new markets, particularly the Asian markets, where there are financial opportunities, but we just do not have such resources, we need export licenses to these countries. Fortunately, we have the Agency for Food Safety in Belgium, and it is known all over the world. And we just have the ability to enter into such contracts. But all this is very difficult. And it is possible that the new contracts will be signed only after the Russian embargo is over. And so the will to build such relations, to build agriculture so that we can export our products, and not create problems for our neighbors, must be at the state level, " Kulonval believes.
According to him, the current situation demonstrates the fragility of the system: "We live in a Europe where agriculture is in those countries that have good climates and can produce enough food. But what is happening today, is this that this policy should be carried out at any cost. Does it make sense to export at any cost? "
Meanwhile, the European Union extended the protection of the farmers for a year because of the Russian counter-sanctions. The farmers producing dairy products, fruits and vegetables will be subsidized. The financial aid will achieve the farmers next week, but for the dairy industry subsidies will come only on October 1, 2015.
