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Stormont committee to discuss Northern Ireland dairy crisis Northern Ireland dairy crisis: Farmers protest as Stormont committee meets
(about 4 hours later)
The Stormont agriculture and rural development committee is due to hold a special meeting later to discuss the crisis in the dairy farming industry in Northern Ireland. The Stormont agriculture and rural development committee is holding a special meeting to discuss the dairy farming crisis in Northern Ireland.
Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has called for intervention at European level to tackle the crisis. Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has called for intervention at European level to tackle the problem.
Dairy farmers have warned they will go out of business if they do not receive higher prices for their milk.Dairy farmers have warned they will go out of business if they do not receive higher prices for their milk.
The price paid to farmers is about 19p a litre. About 200 farmers are protesting in the grounds of Stormont over dairy prices.
They say they need about 27p a litre to break even. Farmers say what they are getting for their milk is well below the cost of producing it.
Ms O'Neill has said she will lead a delegation in the coming weeks to meet the EU farm commissioner, Phil Hogan. They are losing between 8p and 10p on every litre of milk that they produce.
They arrived at Stormont on Thursday to say they needed help quickly.
They want European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to authorise a significant lift in the intervention price - the price at which the authorities will buy milk to support the market.
It is currently about 16p a litre and was set in 2003.
Farmers say it needs to be in the 20s if it is to cushion their losses and stop some farmers going out of business.
So far those calls have been resisted.
The committee will hear from farmers, the industry, the union and the agriculture minister.
Mrs O'Neill has said she will lead a delegation in the coming weeks to meet Mr Hogan.
The Ulster Farmers' Union has urged Northern Ireland politicians to lobby the European Commission to help address the crisis.The Ulster Farmers' Union has urged Northern Ireland politicians to lobby the European Commission to help address the crisis.