The EU farmers’ and agri-cooperatives’ organisations (Copa and Cogeca) called in December 2016 for the European Commission to set up a European grain market observatory (for cereals, oilseeds and protein crops) as there are already observatories for milk, dating from April 2014, and meat (beef and pig meat), in place since last July.
Copa and Cogeca argue that this observatory, having input from representatives of the various economic operators, would be able to provide the Commission with analyses on the economic situation of field crop farmers in real time, whereas the current farm accountancy data network (FADN) takes three years to supply information.
Highlighting that the cereals sector is suffering low prices for the third consecutive year, Copa and Cogeca point to the growing disparity in cereal and oilseed crops in Europe, the lack of information on grain flows within the single market, trade liberalisation with Canada and Ukraine, and Russia’s stated ambition to become the world’s largest cereals exporter. Futures markets offer a view of future developments, the organisations acknowledge. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)