EU dairy farms are paid almost a fifth less for milk while delivering 3% more

The stories

17 stories on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

1. 01

   EU dairy farms are paid almost a fifth less for milk while delivering 3% more

   19.7%

   less paid to EU dairy farms for their milk than a year before

   42.8 euro cents a kilo in August [1]

   +3%

   more milk delivered by EU farms, January to August

   19 countries delivered more in August alone [1]

   +11.9% / -1.5%

   EU dairy exports by amount, and by money earned

   January to July, worth a little over 9.47 billion euros [1]

   29%

   fall in Hungary's farm milk price, the EU's sharpest

   Cyprus was the only country where it rose [1]

   What happened

   • EU dairy farms were paid 19.7% less for their milk in August than a year earlier. [1]
   • The average farm price was 42.8 euro cents a kilo, European Commission figures show. [1]
   • Yet the farms delivered 3% more milk from January to August than a year before. [1]
   • The farm-gate price is what a dairy pays a farmer for raw milk. [1]
   • The European Commission, which runs the EU's day-to-day work, publishes these milk figures. [1]
   • August's price was 8.3% below the average of the last five years. [1]
   • Hungary's farm milk price fell most, by 29% in a year. [1]
   • Czechia and Lithuania fell 26%, Slovakia 25%, and the Netherlands and Germany 24%. [1]
   • Cyprus was the only EU country where farms got more for milk than in 2025. [1]
   • Milk collected in August rose 0.6% on a year earlier, with 19 countries delivering more. [1]
   • Greece's deliveries rose most, by 13.3%, while Romania's fell most, by 13.6%. [1]
   • Dairies turned the extra milk into more powder, butter and cheese. [1]
   • Skimmed milk powder output rose 9%, butter 7.7% and cheese 3.6% in eight months. [1]
   • EU dairy exports rose 11.9% by volume from January to July. [1]
   • But the money those exports earned fell 1.5%, to a little over 9.47 billion euros. [1]
   • Buyers in China, the US, the UK and the Middle East took more of some products. [1]
   • In the four weeks to 18 October, butter prices fell 3.8%. [1]
   • Skimmed milk powder rose 9.1% in those weeks. [1]
   • Powder now costs 54.6% more than a year ago. [1]
   • The farm price rose 2.3% from July to August, and an estimated 0.9% in September. [1]
   • The September estimate is 43.11 euro cents a kilo. [1]

   Who is involved

   • EU dairy farmers the people who sell raw milk to dairies; they are paid about a fifth less than a year ago
   • Hungary -29%
   • Czechia -26%
   • Lithuania -26%
   • The European Commission the body that runs the EU's daily work; it publishes the monthly milk figures
   • Dairy buyers abroad buyers in China, the US, the UK and the Middle East; they took more EU dairy

   How it unfolded

   1. August farm price up 2.3% on July
   2. September up about 0.9% more, to 43.11c
   3. Jan-Aug EU farms deliver 3% more milk than a year before [1]
   4. August farm price 42.8 cents a kilo, down 19.7% on a year [1]
   5. September estimated price up 0.9%, to 43.11 cents [1]
   6. To 18 Oct butter down 3.8%, milk powder up 9.1% [1]

   Why it matters

   More dairy was shipped abroad without earning more, the Commission's figures indicate. [1]

   In every EU country but Cyprus, farms now earn less for each kilo of milk. [1]

   The truth

   • What is really going on Europe's dairy farms are making more milk and being paid about a fifth less for it, while EU dairies ship more abroad and earn less for it. [1]
   • Farms in Hungary, Czechia and Lithuania carry the deepest cuts, of 26% to 29%. [1]
   • Buyers abroad got more EU dairy while paying less for it in total. [1]
   • The figures stop at September, so nobody can yet say whether the fall has ended. [1]
   • Who gains Dairies that make skimmed milk powder — They made 9% more of it in the first eight months, and its price is 54.6% higher than a year ago. [1]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Why EU farms delivered 3% more milk in a year when the price fell by a fifth.

     The Commission's figures show both numbers but give no reason for the rise. [1]

1. 02

   Telangana tells farmers to skip rice

   What happened

   • Telangana, a state in southern India, has advised farmers not to plant paddy rice. [3]
   • Its farm minister, Tummala Nageswara Rao, said water for irrigation is running short. [3]
   • Officials are counting crop losses in 365 drought-hit areas called mandals. [3]
   • He accused opposition parties of spreading word of a 'crop holiday', a season left unplanted. [3]
   • On Saturday he said Telangana's government has not announced a crop holiday. [3]
   • The state is supplying farmers with seed for other crops on subsidy. [3]
   • That includes 28,460 quintals of groundnut and 26,847 quintals of bengal gram, a chickpea. [3]

   Who is involved

   • Tummala Nageswara Rao Telangana's farm minister
   • Opposition parties spread word of a 'crop holiday'

   How it unfolded

   Irrigation schemes and groundwater are short after El Nino, a warm-ocean pattern that brings drought. [3]

   Why it matters

   Switching now aims to stop crops running short of water before harvest, the minister said. [3]

   How it works

   Agronomists class paddy as a water-intensive crop; the state wants 'irrigated dry crops' instead. [3]

   The truth

   • Officials are still surveying the losses, so their size is not yet known. [3]
   • Who pays Farmers in Telangana's 365 drought-hit areas — With irrigation water short after El Nino, they are advised to give up paddy rice for crops they did not plan. [3]

1. 03

   Pork prices stay low as buyers cut back

   What happened

   • Pork prices sit below 2025 levels in most markets, says Rabobank, a farm-lending bank. [2]
   • Its quarterly pork report blames demand that was weaker than expected. [2]
   • In North America, rising prices and tighter budgets are hurting restaurant sales. [2]
   • In Europe, big home supplies and export troubles keep pork prices low. [2]
   • Brazil exported a record 1.2 million tonnes of pork in September, up 6.5%. [2]

   Who is involved

   • Restaurants in North America selling less as budgets tighten
   • Pig farmers

   Why it matters

   Pig farmers get prices too low to pay for growth, while feed and fuel costs swing. [2]

   How it works

   Economists call it trading down: short of money, shoppers pick cheaper cuts and eat at home. [2]

   Why a dairy farm keeps milking when the milk price falls

   Economists call it the shutdown rule: a farm pays for its cows and loans either way, so it milks on while the price covers feed.

   The twist

   A lower milk price does not stop a dairy farm at once. Its cows, sheds and loans cost the same either way, so it keeps milking while the price still pays for feed and fuel.

   The picture

   Running costs (made up)30 euro cents a kilo

   All costs (made up)45 euro cents a kilo

   EU milk price, August42.8 euro cents a kilo

   Step by step

   1. 1 A dairy farm has two kinds of costs
   2. 2 Fixed costs: cows, sheds, machines and loans, paid even if it stops
   3. 3 Running costs: feed, fuel and labour, paid only to make milk
   4. 4 In the short run it keeps milking while the price covers running costs
   5. 5 Only if low prices last does it stop adding cows, or leave farming

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • Pork prices stay low as buyers cut back

     Rabobank expects pig farmers to shelve plans to grow herds in 2027 rather than stop producing now: the long-run step comes after a spell of poor returns.

   Where you've seen this

   Airlines

   a half-empty flight still flies if the fares cover fuel and crew, because the plane is paid for either way

   Cinemas

   a late showing to a few people runs if tickets cover staff and power for those hours

   Oil wells

   a drilled well keeps pumping when prices fall, as long as each barrel pays for lifting it

   The catch

   The rule explains why milk does not dry up as soon as the price falls. It does not explain why EU farms made more milk this year, and the Commission's figures do not say.

   And the whole of it

   The farmer, the dairy, the buyer abroad and the shopper buying cheese are all touched by the same milk price, and each sees only their own part of it. A farmer milking at a loss this winter is making a sensible choice from where they stand.

   The truth

   • Rabobank expects a harder fight for buyers abroad, while Brazil ships record amounts. [2]
   • Who gains Brazil's pork exporters — They shipped a record 1.2 million tonnes in September, up 6.5%, while pork prices elsewhere sat below 2025 levels. [2]
   • Who pays Europe's pig farmers — Rabobank expects Europe's pig production to shrink gradually in 2027 as sow herds get smaller. [2]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether pig farmers will really cut back in 2027.

     Rabobank says poor returns may force a rethink of growth plans, but that is a bank's expectation, not a decision any farmer has announced. [2]

   What comes next

   Rabobank expects poor returns to make pig farmers rethink plans to grow herds in 2027. [2]

   It also expects more governments to use tariffs and quotas to protect their own farmers. [2]

1. 04

   US lawyers clear FDA to name outbreak firms

   What happened

   • On 26 October, US Justice Department lawyers said the FDA may loosen a key secrecy rule. [4]
   • The FDA, the US food and drug safety agency, rarely names firms behind outbreaks. [4]
   • It has said a US trade-secrets law ties its hands. [4]
   • The lawyers said a new FDA rule could let it name firms in an outbreak. [4]
   • Bill Marler, a lawyer who sues food firms for the sick, is filing two petitions. [4]
   • One asks the FDA to name firms its own investigation proves were the source. [4]
   • The other asks it to list shops that got a dangerous recalled food. [4]
   • In a 2024 romaine lettuce outbreak, 89 people fell ill and 1 died. [4]

   Who is involved

   • Bill Marler food-safety lawyer and publisher of Food Safety News
   • Petition one name the proven source
   • Petition two list the shops
   • Families
   • Doctors

   How it unfolded

   The FDA knew the grower; the public learned it over a year later. [4]

   1. 2024 outbreak; grower kept secret
   2. Over a year later name released

   Why it matters

   Marler says a named firm lets families check fridges and doctors link patients to a food. [4]

   How it works

   Lawyers call a firm's private business facts confidential commercial information, which US law protects. [4]

   The truth

   • What is really going on In the US, government lawyers have opened the way for the FDA to name the firms behind food outbreaks, and farm money is pouring into Tuesday's election. [4][7]
   • The opinion says such a rule would likely not allow naming after an outbreak ends. [4]
   • Marler says openly that he represents people suing over the recent chicken-wrap outbreak. [4]
   • Who pays People made ill in food outbreaks — In the 2024 romaine outbreak, 89 fell ill and one died, and the public learned the grower's name only more than a year later. [4]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the FDA will actually write a rule to name outbreak firms.

     The US Justice Department's lawyers only said the FDA may; Marler's two petitions are being filed and the FDA has not answered. [4]

2. 05

   FDA proposes new baby formula nutrient limits

   What happened

   • The FDA proposed new nutrient limits for baby formula, to be published on 2 November. [5]
   • It would raise the lowest allowed level of iodine and lower the highest. [5]
   • Vitamin A limits would both come down, and vitamin D limits would both go up. [5]
   • It would lower the minimum for manganese and set a maximum for the first time. [5]

   Why it matters

   Once final, every baby formula sold in the US would have to meet the new limits. [5]

   How it works

   US rules set a minimum and a maximum level for each nutrient in formula. [5]

   The truth

   • Nobody knows yet

     How much the proposed baby formula limits will change before they become final.

     The FDA has only proposed them, in a rule due to be published on 2 November. [5]

3. 06

   Farmers pay for attack ads before the vote

   What happened

   • A farmers' group is helping fund 3 million dollars of attack ads in US midterm races. [6]
   • The group is the American Meat Producers Association, founded in 2025. [6]
   • It speaks for farmers who back higher animal-welfare standards. [6]
   • Its ads target four Republicans who back the Save Our Bacon Act. [6]
   • The bill would overturn animal-welfare laws in California and Massachusetts. [6]
   • California's law sets how much space some farm animals must have. [7]
   • The group has spent 2.9 million dollars on ads so far, federal filings show. [6]
   • About 2.5 million dollars went against Ashley Hinson, an Iowa Republican running for the US Senate. [6]
   • It also spent 100,000 dollars backing two Republicans who oppose the bill. [6]
   • The group has one listed employee and does not name its donors. [6]

   Who is involved

   • American Meat Producers Association farmers who back high animal-welfare rules

   Why it matters

   US farmers face record diesel prices, dearer fertiliser and fewer sales to China this year. [6]

   Rural approval of Trump fell to 45% in October, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. [6]

   How it works

   OpenSecrets, which tracks political money, counts super PACs and party committees as outside groups. [7]

   The truth

   • Why it works on people An attack ad puts one angry farmer on screen, so a 2.9 million dollar campaign whose donors are unnamed sounds like a neighbour talking. [6]
   • Her campaign says 'Iowa farmers strongly support Ashley Hinson'; Iowa's Farm Bureau endorsed her. [6]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Who is paying for the American Meat Producers Association's attack ads.

     The group does not disclose its donors or members, and its president declined to name the major donors. [6]

4. 07

   Farm business gives most to Republicans

   What happened

   • Food and farm businesses have given 75.8 million dollars to US candidates this election cycle. [7]
   • That is more than twice as much to Republicans as to Democrats, OpenSecrets data show. [7]
   • Only 22% of the sector's political money went to candidates themselves. [7]
   • It spent 76.6 million dollars on outside groups, 74.6 million to conservative ones. [7]
   • Reyes Holdings, a food and drink distributor, gave the most: 21.2 million dollars. [7]
   • American Crystal Sugar, a farmers' sugar beet co-op, gave Democrats most and Republicans 1.2 million dollars. [7]

   Who is involved

   • American Crystal Sugar sugar beet co-operative

   Why it matters

   The 3 November vote is likely to reshape both farm committees of the US Congress. [7]

   The House farm committee's top Democrat, Angie Craig, is leaving the House. [7]

   How it works

   Political scientists call this seeking access; the cotton council says it backs allies in both parties. [7]

   The truth

   • Most money went to outside groups, which grew after a 2010 US Supreme Court ruling. [7]
   • Who gains Shontel Brown, leading contender to head the House farm committee's Democrats — She has received thousands of dollars each from Tyson Foods, JBS, Syngenta, Dairy Farmers of America and other farm groups. [7]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Who will lead the US Congress's farm committees after Tuesday.

     The House committee's top Democrat is leaving, the US Senate committee's top Democrat is running for governor, and the vote decides which party holds each chair. [7]

5. 08

   China's reach into British farming

   What happened

   • Farmers Weekly, a British farm paper, mapped where Chinese firms now sit in British farming. [8]
   • Cofco International, part of China's state grain trader, trades British grain and has Ipswich port facilities. [8]
   • Merchants buying straight from British farms fell from over 2,000 in 1977 to 80-100. [8]
   • A firm linked to China's state-owned Bright Food owns 50% of meat processor Silver Fern Farms. [8]
   • Chinese firm XAG's crop-spraying drones are now flying on British farms. [8]
   • Their crash records upload to Chinese servers when the drone gets a connection. [8]
   • Syngenta, owned by China's state-owned Sinochem, runs its biggest research site in Berkshire. [8]

   Who is involved

   • Cofco International arm of China's state-owned grain trader
   • Syngenta owned by China's state-owned Sinochem
   • British farmers
   • Chinese-owned firms

   Why it matters

   British farmers gain cheaper kit, but a few firms hold more knowledge of the market. [8]

   How it works

   Economists call this market concentration: fewer buyers, each seeing more of the market. [8]

   The truth

   • The paper could not find out what data FJDynamics' tractor-steering kits send to China. [8]
   • Cofco did not answer the paper's questions about its British business. [8]
   • Who gains XAG, the Chinese drone maker — Its British distributor spent about 1.5 million pounds over four years building the rules that let crop drones fly, which may hand XAG a head start over rivals. [8]
6. 09

   UK prepares for insect-carried crop diseases

   What happened

   • Keele University will lead a project on crop diseases carried by insects called planthoppers. [9]
   • It starts in November and is one of 18 projects sharing over 54 million pounds. [9]
   • On the European mainland one such disease can cut sugar beet root yields by 30%. [9]
   • The reed planthopper already lives in Britain, but the disease is not believed established. [9]
   • Two planthopper species can pass five bacterial diseases between crops and wild plants. [9]
   • The diseases threaten potatoes, sugar beet and carrots. [9]

   Who is involved

   • Keele University leads the project
   • Potatoes
   • Sugar beet
   • Carrots

   How it unfolded

   Young planthoppers spend the winter underground in wheat fields. [9]

   Why it matters

   Preparing now could let farmers act before the disease takes hold in Britain. [9]

   How it works

   Plant scientists call the planthopper a vector: an insect carrying disease from plant to plant. [9]

   The truth

   • Few British farmers know about planthoppers yet, the project's lead, James Bell, says. [9]
   • Who pays Sugar beet growers on the European mainland — Where the planthopper disease has struck, sugar beet root yields can fall by 30% and sugar by 5%. [9]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the planthopper diseases ruining sugar beet on the European mainland will settle in Britain.

     The insect already lives there, but the diseases are not believed established, and the research only starts in November. [9]

7. 10

   Heat threatens Australia's cattle and workers

   What happened

   • A study in npj Sustainable Agriculture projects heat on northern Australia's cattle stations. [10]
   • By late century, heat-tolerant cattle on the Barkly Tableland could face 105.6 too-hot days a year. [10]
   • Historically they faced 15.2 such days a year. [10]
   • Less heat-tolerant cattle could face over 300 such days in parts of the dry interior. [10]
   • Days too hot for safe outdoor work could rise by 31-60%. [10]
   • Good shade offsets almost all the extra heat at five of six site and breed pairs. [10]

   Who is involved

   • Station workers
   • Cattle

   How it unfolded

   The biggest numbers come from the study's high-emissions path for late this century. [10]

   1. In the past 15.2 too-hot days a year
   2. Late century 105.6 too-hot days a year

   Why it matters

   Cattle under heat grow slower, so they take longer to reach export or slaughter weight. [10]

   How it works

   Animal scientists measure heat load: the heat a cow builds up faster than it can shed. [10]

   The truth

   • Station workers share the risk; the authors say work hours will likely need to change too. [10]

   Good news

   • Good shade cancels almost all of the extra heat that cattle in northern Australia are projected to face, at five of the six sites and breeds a new study looked at.
8. 11

   Funds sell, rapeseed price slips

   What happened

   • Paris rapeseed for May 2027 fell 1.7% in a week, to about 461.50 pounds a tonne. [11]
   • Rapeseed, called oilseed rape in Britain, is bought by oil crushers and biodiesel makers. [11]
   • Investment funds have halved their record bet on rising rapeseed prices in three to four weeks. [11]
   • Low water on the Rhine, a big European river, has made moving rapeseed dearer. [11]
   • Big US soybean and Canadian canola harvests add to the world's supply. [11]
   • EU rapeseed imports are about 11% below last year, which keeps Europe's own supply tight. [11]

   Who is involved

   • US soybeans
   • Canadian canola

   Why it matters

   Big harvests abroad cap the price even while Europe's own supply stays tight. [11]

   How it works

   Traders call a big bet on rising prices a long position; funds halved theirs. [11]

   The truth

   • Worries over the Strait of Hormuz and Black Sea still hold prices up, a trader says. [11]

   What comes next

   Dry weather in central and south-east Europe worries growers about next year's crop. [11]

9. 12

   Calf viruses look close to human ones

   What happened

   • Scientists tracked viruses in beef calves' noses and throats from birth to weaning. [12]
   • They published the study in Nature Communications on 28 October. [12]
   • Viruses that infect animals showed up after the calves' first week of life. [12]
   • Two viruses they rebuilt, a coronavirus and an adenovirus, sit between cattle and human types. [12]

   How it unfolded

   1. Birth sampling starts
   2. First week animal viruses appear
   3. Weaning sampling ends

   Why it matters

   Cattle are major food animals and live in close contact with people. [12]

   How it works

   Scientists study animal and human health together under the name One Health. [12]

   The truth

   • The study finds shared genetic features; it does not report these viruses infecting people. [12]
10. 13

    Irrigation takes two-thirds of Africa's water

    What happened

    • A study in Nature put Africa's yearly water demand at 347 cubic kilometres. [13]
    • Irrigation, water brought to crops, takes 225 of them: 65%. [13]
    • Towns need 17%, electricity 10%, factories 4%, livestock 3% and mining 1%. [13]
    • Demand rose by 26% between 2010 and 2020. [13]
    • In parts of northern and southern Africa demand is greater than the water available. [13]

    Why it matters

    Elsewhere there is enough water, yet many people lack piped drinking water. [13]

    How it works

    Hydrologists define water demand as the volume each use needs, not what it gets. [13]

    The truth

    • The authors say their numbers are estimates, and local figures need care. [13]
11. 14

    DeepMind's AI turns to crops

    What happened

    • Google DeepMind, Google's AI lab, set out its farm work at a Singapore food summit. [14]
    • 'We're using it to create more disease-resistant crops,' said its director, Ramine Tinati. [14]
    • That work is with the Sainsbury Laboratory, a plant research centre in Britain. [14]
    • Another tool maps sorghum varieties that may cope better with harsh conditions. [14]
    • The sorghum map is open to all researchers, free. [14]
    • A project helping smallholders in India decide what to plant is spreading to 11 countries. [14]

    Who is involved

    • Google DeepMind Google's AI research lab

    Why it matters

    Tinati says small farmers could then know what to sow, and when to harvest. [14]

    How it works

    AlphaFold predicts a protein's 3D shape, and the shape decides what the protein does. [14]

    The truth

    • DeepMind gave no figures for how much its tools have raised yields on farms. [14]

    Good news

    • Google DeepMind is making its map of sorghum varieties that may cope better with harsh conditions free for any researcher to use.
12. 15

    Texas ranchers build their own beef plant

    What happened

    • USDA, the US farm department, will lend 24.6 million dollars for a beef plant in Texas. [5]
    • 26 cattle producers from the Texas panhandle started the project, in the town of Dimmitt. [5]
    • The plant will handle 400 cattle a day and is expected to create 220 jobs. [5]
    • The ranchers want an alternative to the big national meat companies. [5]

    Who is involved

    • Texas ranchers

    Why it matters

    A new buyer nearby gives ranchers another place to sell their cattle. [5]

    How it works

    Economists call it buyer power when a few firms buy from many sellers. [5]

    The truth

    • Who gains Twenty-six Texas panhandle cattle producers — A 24.6 million dollar US loan lets them build their own plant instead of selling only to the big national meatpackers. [5]

    Good news

    • Twenty-six cattle producers in the Texas panhandle won a 24.6 million dollar US government loan to build their own beef plant.
13. 16

    Puerto Rico's farmers sell straight to buyers

    What happened

    • Puerto Rico, a US island territory, imports more than 80% of its food. [15]
    • Small local markets and farm boxes are now selling island food straight to buyers. [15]
    • Super Solidario, a monthly market in Caguas, sells food from over 15 small farms. [15]
    • More than 2,000 people visited it last year. [15]
    • It bought 40 crops from 22 farmers, who then sold without leaving their land. [15]
    • Its 41 members work in return for food sold at what it cost the market. [15]

    Who is involved

    • Super Solidario a monthly market in Caguas

    How it unfolded

    Climate disasters and global shocks have hit the island's food supply chains hard before. [15]

    Why it matters

    More than 40% of Puerto Ricans live below the poverty line. [15]

    How it works

    Food planners call it a short supply chain: farmers selling straight to the people who eat. [15]

    The truth

    • Only 20% of people at meal programmes surveyed bought from fruit stands, against 93% at supermarkets. [15]

    Good news

    • A monthly market in Caguas, Puerto Rico, bought 40 crops outright from 22 local farmers last year, and more than 2,000 people came to shop.
14. 17

    How a fungus gives tea its smell

    What happened

    • Scientists at Anhui Agricultural University in China studied a fungus used to ferment tea. [16]
    • The fungus, Aspergillus cristatus, is used to ferment tea. [16]
    • Scent chemicals called monoterpenoids give fermented tea much of its smell. [16]
    • The study appears in npj Science of Food, a Nature journal. [16]
    • As the fungus fermented liquid tea, these scent chemicals built up. [16]
    • Adding sugar made the scents come sooner and stronger. [16]
    • Key scents included linalool, geraniol and nerol. [16]
    • The team showed in the lab that one fungal enzyme makes nerol. [16]

    Who is involved

    • Anhui Agricultural University tea research lab
    • Aspergillus cristatus a fungus used to ferment tea
    • Tea makers could steer a tea's smell

    Why it matters

    The authors say this could help tea makers steer a fermented tea's smell. [16]

    How it works

    Here fermentation means a fungus living in the tea and changing its chemistry. [16]

    The truth

    • The gene they think controls it is only 'putative': likely, not yet proven. [16]