site.btaBulgaria, Portugal to Call on EU for Urgent Measures in Milk Sector

Bulgaria, Portugal to Call on EU for Urgent Measures in Milk Sector

Lisbon/Sofia, April 5 (BTA) - At the forthcoming Agriculture and Fisheries Council in June, Bulgaria and Portugal will insist on urgent measures for dealing with the crisis in the milk sector, it emerged at a meeting Tuesday between Bulgarian Agriculture and Food Minister Dessislava Taneva and Portuguese Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Minister Luis Capoulas Santos. Taneva is on an official visit in Lisbon.

The Bulgarian delegation includes Deputy Agriculture Minister Tsvetan Dimitrov and the Executive Director of the Vine and Wine Executive Agency Krassimir Koev, Taneva's Ministry said.

The milk sector can be stabilized if EU-level urgent measures are taken, Taneva said. What has been done so far are national measures for market stabilization, while there should also be external funding. There is no way to stabilize the milk market given the monthly rise in raw milk production. Another measure that could help is to open markets in third countries. Bulgaria hails the increase for promotions, but the budget of the school milk scheme has not increased, and this is a major measure to promote this sector in Bulgaria. It will be good if decisions are made before the June Council to change the balance and regulate the market, she added. Bulgaria wants to reduce production without affecting mountain and semi-mountain area production, which is the locals' livelihood.

Luis Capoulas Santos said Portugal has identical problems in the milk sector. Production has risen by 4 per cent, while the consumption of milk and dairy products has dropped by 9 per cent, he added. In his opinion, the EU should fund a decrease in milk production in the countries where it has grown, otherwise only the largest producers will remain in the market.

The sides are to hold a number of meetings before the Council to level out their positions.

Bulgaria and Portugal have a considerable potential to increase two-way trade, Taneva said. The sides also discussed trade relations in the tobacco industry. It is particularly important for Bulgaria and can hardly be replaced with alternative crops, Taneva said. She invited Portuguese tobacco industry representatives to visit Bulgaria. The two ministers also discussed a possible exchange of experience in the formation of agricultural cooperatives.