Milking of consumers targeted
The price and origin of milk in Greece will be at the center of discussion at the Agricultural Development Ministry today, sources said, as dairy producers admit that Greeks pay more for milk than most Europeans. Officials are due to discuss the introduction of a new regulation forcing producers to display the origin of their milk on the container after complaints that some companies were importing cheaper milk and selling it on without making clear where it came from. Meanwhile, the head of the Greek Dairy Organization (ELOG), Polynikis Fassas, said supermarkets were mainly to blame for the high price of milk. He said Greek supermarkets were making up to 25 percent profit on milk whereas most stores in Europe did not profit by more than 10 percent. Producers sell milk at 35 cents a liter but consumers have to pay up to 1.50 euros. A milk producer told Kathimerini that production costs in Greece are higher than other European countries because there is less grass for cows to graze on and farmers are forced to use more animal feed.
