Many thousands of dairy farmers in Bavaria could stop their business, at least according to the assessment of the cooperative association (GVB). The reason is the increasing demands of the large supermarket chains, as GVB Association President Gregor Scheller announced on Thursday. Around 9,500 of the 23,500 Bavarian dairy farmers keep their cows tied up in the barn all year round. Of these more than 9,500 farms, only about 1,000 are willing to invest in freestall housing or combined housing. Accordingly, the association expects structural change to intensify. Scheller appealed to the retail chains: “It must not be the case that the costs for animal husbandry and energy increase sharply on the producer side, but they are left with the higher costs because the food retail trade is pocketing the profits from price increases.” The GVB includes 104 milk cooperatives or dairies, which increased their sales by almost one percent to 3.23 billion euros. Dairy cooperatives are concerned about the war in Ukraine. “Without an adequate and reliable gas supply, milk, as a perishable commodity, has to be thrown away on a large scale,” says Scheller. You have to ensure a reliable energy supply for the dairies.
Animal Husbandry – Many Dairy Farmers Could Quit – Economy
