.jpeg){kind=spacer}
.png)
Lack of competition keeps milk prices high
Milk in Malta continues to rate amongst the most expensive within the European Union, according to the Unions statistical services latest report on dairy prices.
5 April 2012, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
1 min read
Milk in Malta costs 46.4 cents per kilo, 12 cents more than the EU average of 34.4 cents per kilo
Milk in Malta continues to rate amongst the most expensive within the European Union, according to the Unions statistical services latest report on dairy prices, and government has until October to enforce regulations which may ensure more competitive pricing.
The statistics reveal that milk in Malta costs 46.4 cents per kilo, 12 cents more than the EU average of 34.4 cents per kilo, according to January 2012 figures.
Malta appears to have the third highest priced milk amongst the EU27, with Cyprus topping the chart with a cost of 53.5 cents per kilo, and followed by Greece with 47.2 cents per kg. After Malta, comes Finland at 45.3/kg.
In a report compiled in 2010 by Alexandros-Aristeidis Koutsogiannakis from Rotterdam's Erasmus School of Economics, it was explained how Malta, being the smallest milk producer in the EU, held just 6,000 dairy cows in 2010.
Koutsogiannakis said that when comparing milk prices, he found "remarkable examples" in Malta and Latvia. The average milk price of Latvia counts approximately for the quarter of Malta' milk price.
The widest inequalities though, occur in the case of annual milk production. In that case, Malta's annual milk production stands approximately for the 0.16% of the German annual production. Specifically, Malta is the country that barely even produces milk. According to market rules, this is not abnormal, given how it is also the country with one of the highest milk prices.
The paradox however lies in the fact that Latvia, which has the lowest milk prices, cannot even be categorised among the top producing countries.
•
Mhux bilfors li l-prezz tal-halib jibqa' gholi ghax il-konsum dejjem jonqos u l-ispejjes jizdiedu specjalment biex jitwassal fil-hwienet (prezz tal fuel dejjem jizdied) meta l-Maltin qed isibu halib itjeb u orhos dejjem gej minn barra min Malta...minn kien qal li l-Europei mhux ser johdulna il-business!!!!!!!!......illum issib kollox ahjar minn barra u jekk ma ssibx ghawn idhol fl-internet stenna jumejn jew tlieta u tircevieh id-dar diret.......grazzi ghal free trade fil-EU.
•
Cows and other animals have all the land they want to graze on in most EU countries while in Malta we are extremely limited and cows have to be fed at great expense. What does the EU expect that we have flying cows who can graze in the air? Where do they expect us to keep cows and other animals? As far as freshness is concerned, none of the imported milk can ever be as fresh as the local one. Re yoghurts, Benna should try to make bigger tubs, but do have a look at what foreign yoghurts contain.
•
You are right Thorny about the milk being cheaper and the taste is not that bad either. I think that the yogurths at LIDL taste even better than the local ones. I mean everyone has thier own preference but the yoghurts sold at LIDL are much more creamier but also one has to say that they are a tad more expensive(if you buy the bigger ones ). I am not saying that the local ones are not good either because they are too. Benna should come up with yoghurts that are packaged in bigger tubs so that way people wanting to buy bigger tubs can also buy the local ones and not having to resort in buying the bigger tubs from LIDL.
•
And far better tasting too!
Luke Camilleri •
It'cheaper at LIDL as are yoghurts!
