The French dairy farmers federation has announced that it is taking Lactalis to court over “imbalances” in the milk price proposals the processing giant has put on the table.

Following the milk price crises of 2009 and 2010 and ahead of the end of EU milk quotas in 2015, last year the French government decided to establish a contractual framework between milk producers and dairy groups.

Agreements have been reached between producers and the vast majority of processors including Danone and Bongrain.

However, Lactalis’s negotiations with its suppliers have been at an impasse for months.

Contacted by just-food, a spokesperson for Lactalis said the group “would not be commenting at the present time”. However, he said the situation could develop as the week progressed.” It has fixed a deadline of 31 March for the contracts to be signed.

Last week, France’s Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire urged Lactalis “to play the game on milk contracts” as Danone and Bongrain had done.

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