UCCL Organizes Protest Against Dairy Industry Amid Pricing Crisis

The UCCL argues that negotiations for new contracts in 2025 should reflect production cost increments, aligning with the food chain law. The organization criticizes the industry for imposing quarterly prices instead of annual agreements, pushing producers to sell below production costs.

Current prices offered by the dairy industry, according to UCCL, are unsustainable and threaten the sector's survival, with production costs estimated between 1.40 and 1.50 euros per liter and sales prices averaging 1.32 euros. This pricing issue negatively impacts both the environmental benefits of grazing and the generational transition within farming communities.

With an average farmer age of 57, the UCCL anticipates that 50% of the sector may retire within the next eight years. They stress that an unprofitable sector deters young individuals from entering the profession, creating a “vicious cycle.”

The UCCL's continuous efforts include meetings with farmers and cooperatives, press briefings, and other actions like the holiday protest outside Mercadona. They emphasize the need for structural changes to prevent the sector from disappearing, which would cause irreparable economic, social, and environmental damage to rural areas in Spain.

In their final remarks, UCCL calls for unity among the sector and implores farmers to reject contracts that do not meet profitability thresholds: “We cannot allow the weakest link in the chain to continue to be exploited. Fighting for fair prices is about securing the future of sheep milk production and rural life.”