◀ anchor ▶
Conflicts over milk prices are growing.
It is the position of the government and milk companies that the price should be lower than now.
Farmers are protesting, saying that the price of feed has risen like this, saying that they should go bankrupt.
Milk consumption is declining, so how do we solve this problem?
I am a reporter for the clinic.
◀ Report ▶
Cow farmers pouring milk into drums.
Relay protests by farmers have been going on for over two weeks in front of provincial government offices across the country.
“Destroy immediately, discard, discard.”
The protest continues even in front of the National Assembly.
Farmers are opposed to the government’s reform of the oil price system.
As the number of children decreases, milk consumption in Korea is also decreasing.
In 2001, it was 36.5 kg per person, but in 2020 it decreased to 31.8 kg.
But in the meantime, milk prices continued to rise.
In 2001, it was 629 won per liter, and it is 1,083 won in 2020.
This is because they are raising prices in conjunction with production costs.
The government and milk companies are in a position to lower the price to increase milk consumption.
So, while keeping the price of white milk, we proposed a reform plan to lower the price of processed milk used to make butter or cheese to 800 won.
Farmers are protesting.
Already, as international grain prices are soaring, it is difficult to even afford the cost of household expenses.
[이승호/한국낙농육우협회장]
“From 950 won to almost 1,000 won now. How can I supply oil at a loss? It’s a situation where farmers have no choice but to go bankrupt.”
According to the Dairy Association, the average debt of dairy cows is over 500 million won, and 228 farms have closed in the past two years.
The government said it would support the cost of rent, but the recent negotiations were temporarily halted as farmers continued to object.
Dairy farmers are also in a position to consider stopping milk supply, so the milk crisis is also a concern.
This is Im Sang-jae from MBC News.
Video coverage: Seo Hyun-kwon, Choi Jeong-hyeon (Chuncheon) / Video editing: Jeong Seon-woo
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