“The last meeting took place on October 3. Since then, the dairy has not given any further news to respond to the producers' organization's proposals. » In sheep's milk too, negotiations between dairies and producer organizations (POs) are complicated. Les Bergeries Laitières d'Aqui'Oc, OP of 64 producers from Aveyron, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne and Dordogne, warns of its situation in two press releases distributed on September 24 and October 21, 2024.
Negotiations began at the beginning of September between the OP and its dairy Le Petit Basque, in Gironde (SILL group). Objective, to set the price of milk for the 2025 campaign. Problem, “the increase proposed by the dairy compared to 2024 does not compensate for the cumulative increase in production costs since 2021”, deciphers Guillaume Favoreu, advisor to the OP and land and agricultural expert at Optimes.
0.8 minimum wage on average
“Charges jumped by 30% between the start of 2020 and 2024, compared to 15% for the price of milk paid. For three years the delta has been increasing between remuneration and expenses,” describes Guillaume Favoreu. The adjustment variable? “The salaries of producers, which are deteriorating. » The expert aligns the numbers. “The cost price of sheep's milk is currently around €1,500/1,000 liters, and the Petit Basque dairy pays €1,100/1,000 liters. This allows breeders to earn 0.8 minimum wage on average.”
Les Bergeries Laitières d'Aqui'Oc indicates that it is expecting a strong gesture from the Le Petit Basque dairy, but is concerned about the silence of the processor since the beginning of October following the last negotiation meeting. “It’s radio silence. However, we had made progress in September. Each had taken a step towards the other. The delta between what the OP asks for and what the dairy offers is small in conventional, and a little greater in organic. »
“The dairy does not publish its accounts”
The OP is incomprehensible, especially since the analysis of industrial selling prices (PVI) of the dairy “allows us to assume that their selling prices have increased by more than 25% in recent years”, explains Guillaume Favoreu. And added: “We do not have more precise data because the dairy does not publish its accounts”.
A rapid agreement “would, however, make it possible to calmly build the future and the next stages of contractualization and avoid referral to the mediator”. This case is not isolated, according to Guillaume Favoreu. “This year, it was complicated for several sheep farmers everywhere. Dairies leave producers little room for negotiation. The balance of power is unbalanced. »
