The announcement of a “mini-support package” for the agri-food sector has been welcomed by the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) – but lessons must be learned from 2015, the association says.
Following a meeting with European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski alongside other European co-op organisations, IOCS president Jerry Long said: “It is certainly a welcome step forward for the EU to make support available to the sector, following weeks of disruption, falling market prices and rising costs.”
However, the president added that knowing the final details of the scheme will be essential in determining how meaningful the support will be.
Speaking to the commissioner today, Wednesday, April 22, Long urged him to “use the lessons learned from the 2015 dairy crisis”.
Long called on the commissioner to ensure the “provision of a sufficient budget” for the scheme, to allow for adequate support rates for storage – reflecting the current costs being paid – and to allow for sufficient volumes of product to be covered under the scheme to help restore balance to the market for the duration of this crisis.
ICOS says it is also now seeking to ensure, with the late start of this private storage aid scheme, that it is kept open until at least the end of September, so as much of the current production season can be covered.
“We are also calling for a fair allocation of cheese storage volumes among member states, as well as for the swift delivery of this support package and the rapid opening of these aid schemes which are urgently required,” said Long.