EU FARM Commissioner Phil Hogan has repeated his claim that there is no crisis in the European dairy industry.

Speaking to journalists last week in Brussels, Irishman Hogan stated that, with Europe's average milk price running at around 32.4 euro-cents per litre he did not want to "talk the industry into a crisis". Mr Hogan did not accept that prices were as low as around 22 to 24 pence per litre in Northern Ireland, and that farmers in other parts of the UK were experiencing low prices.

Prices do vary across Europe, with the latest statistics from the EU's milk market observatory websites showing prices as high as €57.46 per 100kgs (46.75 pence per litre) in Cyprus; to a low of €23.19 per 100kgs (18.87 pence per litre) in Latvia. The latest observatory figures from the UK are dated November 2014 and register at €35.63 per 100kgs (28.99 pence per litre).

Later, speaking at the Farm Council in Brussels, Commissioner Hogan added that average EU milk prices had hit record levels in 2013 and 2014, and although the current price was lower, it was still above 2010-2012 levels. .

Also addressing the journalists was Tassos Haniotis, a director of economics within the Commission, who predicted milk would remain the 'white gold' for the next ten years, averaging out at €350 per tonne until 2024.

"Future extra global demand for milk will be met mostly by Europe accounting for an extra 12 million tonnes in ten years," said Mr Haniotis. "New Zealand production is limited by natural constraints, so opportunities for EU farmers are great."

However, the expansion of EU milk production is limited by increasing production in competing parts of the world, the rate of world import growth, environmental constraints and the limited potential for higher consumption in the EU. He added that production is expected to concentrate further in regions with lower production costs and where farmers and dairies have invested most.