As reported by RTL on Wednesday, it has now been confirmed that the 68 dairy farms that were no longer able to supply their milk to EKABE will be taken on by Luxlait.
The arrangement is set for an initial four-year transition period, during which a sustainability analysis will be carried out to determine whether continued cooperation beyond 2031 makes sense.
The deal covers around 55 million litres of milk in total. Back at the end of May, it was announced that EKABE, part of the French Lactalis Group, would let its contracts with the farmers of the Prolek cooperative expire on 31 March of next year. Talks between Prolek and the Luxembourg dairy began shortly afterwards.
Vic Wirtz, president of Prolek, is clearly a happy man. This crisis, he said, had not weakened Prolek. On the contrary, it had shown what could be achieved when people stand together, take responsibility, and work their way through to a solution.
What was on the table today, in his view, was not just 55 million litres of milk, but 68 family-run farms, along with the men, women, families, and futures behind them. Being able to offer them a concrete prospect once again was the result of hard work, strong solidarity, and exceptional cooperation.
Farms now have until 25 September to sign a contract with Luxlait. According to RTL, however, a number of farmers consider that deadline to be too tight.
