On Tuesday 9 November, the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee deplored the effects of rising input prices and the difficult situation facing the pork sector.
Michael Scannell, Deputy Director General in the European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture, noted that the prices being paid to producers were increasing in several sectors (cereals, milk, beef). This increase, however, is accompanied by a rise in input costs, admitted the European Commission.
The Commission was “very concerned” about the pork sector, where prices are very low. Michael Scannell reiterated that traditional market measures could make the situation worse (see EUROPE 12810/8).
For Paolo De Castro (S&D, Italy), the increase in production costs has not been compensated for by any increase in the prices paid to producers. “The charges have increased a lot”, said Anne Sander (EPP, France), who suggested that anti-dumping duties on fertilisers should be suspended. Irène Tolleret (Renew Europe, France) mentioned the rising costs of pesticides.
The EU agriculture ministers will discuss the market situation on Monday 15 November. At the Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) held on Monday 8 November, a majority of delegations made reference to the problems faced by pork producers and the associated high input costs (feed, transport, fertilisers). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)