Lithuanian farmers closing their businesses en masse

Lithuanian dairy farmers are on the brink of collapse – farms are closing en masse. Following the loss of the Belarusian and Russian markets and rising costs, as media reports point out, new challenges have emerged: intense competition from large European players and difficult domestic conditions.

Jonas Vilionis, head of the Lithuanian Milk Producers Association, notes that the distribution of product prices in the supply chain is unbalanced. Currently, 1 liter of milk costs approximately €1.76 in stores, while a small farmer receives only 10 cents.

The European Commission has also contributed to the worsening crisis by cutting funding for Lithuanian agriculture by a fifth.