European Farmers in Need of Assistance

By Abbie Schepps

In Brussels, earlier this month, thousands of European farmers protested to demand emergency aid to offset falling prices for milk, pork, and other products. Blame can be divided amongst many factors, but dairy farmers point fingers at a European Union decision earlier this year to end a quota system that has helped maintain prices. Now, agriculture ministers gathered to consider proposals by the European Commission with the hopes of promoting upward pressure on prices. A proposed plan will provide new funding to national governments and will hopefully halt price decreases by removing products from the market and placing them into storage. It remains to be seen how European farmers will fair, as market prices are not expected to increase until sometime next year.