European farmer and cooperative organization Copa Cogeca is urging EU ministers to alleviate pressure on producers hit by the Russian embargo on fresh produce.

Following last Friday’s European agricultural ministers' meeting in Brussels, the organization has called for additional measures to be put in place urgently, warning the Russian ban has caused a 'severe crisis' with some sectors at risk of complete collapse.

In a meeting with the Italian Presidency, Copa's president Albert Jan Maat, stressed the importance of more measures as prices in Europe for certain fruit and vegetables have decreased by more than 50% in some member states.

"More measures are needed to help farmers and agri-cooperatives deal with the crisis situation," he said in a release.

"I urge the Commissioner to do everything in his power to encourage export promotion campaigns to stimulate new demand and find new market outlets for our produce.

"Red tape needs to be cut and non-tariff barriers to trade tackled. For example, in the fruit and vegetable sector, phytosanitary barriers prevent the European fruit from entering the US market. This needs to be addressed."

Maat also appealed for ministers to encourage the use of the EU school milk and fruit and vegetable schemes which help develop healthy eating habits at an early age, and claimed all producers - whether members of producers organizations or not - should be entitled to compensation.

"Action taken so far has helped to stabilize the EU dairy and fruit and vegetable markets but further measures are vital to prevent the markets from collapsing altogether.

"In addition, producers who don't belong to producer organisations must get the same amount of compensation for withdrawals as those belonging to producer organisations to ensure a level playing field.

"In view of the serious market situation, producers need to be enabled to better manage supplies on the market, by fully utilising article 222 of the EU regulation."

Cogeca president Christian Pees also outlines further actions, specifically pushing for withdrawal measures to be expanded to cover citrus.

"The list of fruit and vegetables eligible for withdrawal measures should be expanded to include, for example, citrus fruit and the quantities increased," Pees said.

"The reference price must be updated so that it covers increasing production costs. The aid package worth €125 million (US$162 million) for fruit and vegetables is not nearly enough to support the sector.

"Support must consequently not be financed only out of the CAP budget but also from other funds."

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