Paris (AFP)

A heartbreaker: Pierre Villiers, a young Norman breeder and producer of Neufchâtel cheese, had to resolve to throw out 15,000 liters of milk in three weeks. This is one of the countless disruptions in the supply chains created by the Covid-19 epidemic.

No luck, the usual peak of spring milk production - the moment when calves are born and cows return to the meadows after a winter in the barn - coincides with the simultaneous collapse of whole sections of consumption: closure of restaurants, markets outdoors and declining exports.

Almost everywhere in Europe, the world's leading dairy stronghold, the situation is reproducing identically. The old continent "is crumbling under too much milk, and prices are collapsing", summarizes for AFP the Belgian Erwin Schöpges, who chairs the European milk board, bringing together producers from 16 countries.

One tonne of skim milk powder, one of the barometers on the world market, which quoted 2,200 euros last week (compared to 2,600 euros in the past six months) fell to 2,000 euros this week, he said.

Difficult to find urgent outlets for new highly perishable fresh products such as milk, flowers, strawberries or asparagus.

"The cows have a hard time understanding that it is necessary to stop producing", jokes Pierre Villiers sadly while recounting "all the telephone calls" to try to revive local sales and compensate for the loss "overnight" of 70 % of its turnover.

- "Catastrophic situation in PDO zone" -

Local grocery stores and amap in Ile-de-France allow to sell part of its production, "but it is far from compensating for the closure of the cutting departments of supermarkets, that of restaurants, canteens and outdoor markets" he said.

"From Brie to Rocamadour via Munster or Reblochon, the situation is catastrophic for cheese producers in the protected PDO areas", adds Michel Lacoste, president of the national council of appellations of dairy origin (CNAOL) .

"We feel very lonely and isolated, we have lost all of our consumers at once," says this dairy breeder from Cantal, wondering "if the 345 SME farmers in France will still be there in a month".

For the moment, it is impossible to quantify the excess volumes in Europe, says Mélanie Richard, chief economist at CNIEL, the French dairy interprofession.

"It is especially the small dairies which are threatened in Europe", specifies Mr. Schöpges. "In several countries, in Germany and Italy in particular, some no longer collect milk, especially those which provided catering".

- Cap production or store? -

On a more industrial level, the European dairy crisis started with the coronavirus epidemic in China, when the containers of milk powder from Denmark or Brittany were no longer unloaded from boats for lack of arms in Chinese ports .

Then, Italy, which imports almost half of its milk, especially from Germany and France, refocused on its own production: "No more mozzarella or milk for closed pizzerias and ice cream parlors", underlines Mr. Schöpges.

"Then everything went at an incredible speed," added the Belgian, who multiplies the meetings to try to find solutions.

According to him, "it is absolutely necessary to cap production in Europe and compensate producers".

Many have already adopted this solution on their own, particularly in France. The Comté sector will produce 8% less over the next three months.

To achieve this, each breeder must extend the rest period of his cows between two pastures, the duration of suckling calves, and reduce the feed ration of cows. Very technical work.

Others like Saint Nectaire have chosen to freeze their white cheeses in order to refine them and sell them later. A solution not possible everywhere: "the production of Parmigiano Reggiano must continue every day of the year because our milk cannot be pasteurized or refrigerated, and stopping production is not an option", said Thursday Nicola Bertinelli, president of the consortium.

On Wednesday, French Minister of Agriculture Didier Guillaume and his German colleague Julia Klöckner called on the Commission for a "coordinated and European approach", notably asking for a green light for "private storage" of surplus foodstuffs.

A solution to which the European milk board is "absolutely opposed" because stocks will "weigh" for long months on prices and producers, as in 2015-16.

© 2020 AFP