In an interview with RTL, Minister of Agriculture Martine Hansen responded to the announcement that the EKABE dairy will cease processing Luxembourgish milk as of April 2027.
The French Lactalis group confirmed the move on Thursday evening through a communication agency, issuing a statement that corroborated an earlier report by RTL. Lactalis cited structural changes in the international milk market as the reason for its decision to stop processing Luxembourgish milk at EKABE.
However, the group stressed that the “industrial, logistical, and commercial activities” at the production site in Eschweiler are not being called into question. EKABE has been owned by the French multinational since 1989.
To date, some 68 producers have delivered milk to the Eschweiler facility, where it is processed into cream, cheese, and other products. This arrangement will come to an end on 1 April 2027.
In the statement, which RTL received upon request, Lactalis pledged to maintain dialogue with local producers until the current contract expires in late March 2027, and to assess how their activities might be continued.
The announcement, made during an EKABE committee meeting on Thursday morning, came as a shock to the entire sector. In addition to the affected producers, the president of the Chamber of Agriculture, Christian Hahn, and Minister Hansen were also taken by surprise.
Representatives of EKABE/Lactalis met with Hansen on Thursday afternoon, but the minister stated that she only learned the purpose of the meeting during the gathering itself.
Speaking to RTL, Hansen described the development as "devastating" – particularly for the affected milk producers who have made investments. The minister noted that they are now left with 56 million litres of milk and no clear outlet.
Hansen welcomed EKABE's expressed willingness to consider a later contract expiry date. She stressed that her ministry is doing everything possible to help, while acknowledging that direct aid options are limited.
Christian Hahn, president of the Chamber of Agriculture, explained that the delivery volumes from the EKABE farmers account for between 10 and 15% of Luxembourg's annual milk production. In his view, this quantity is too large for another dairy – such as Luxlait – to simply take on spontaneously.
Hahn stated that the Chamber of Agriculture intends to support the affected farmers and assess potential solutions. At the same time, he expressed doubt that processing French milk instead of locally produced milk at the Eschweiler site would prove cheaper.
He criticised the approach as running directly counter to the idea of local, short-chain production. According to Hahn, consumers who consciously choose Luxembourgish products have a different understanding of what that entails. In his view, the decision also carries the risk that Luxembourgish customers will buy fewer EKABE products.
Hansen is scheduled to meet with the affected farmers on Monday. Later that same day, an emergency closed-door meeting will take place in Junglinster to assess the situation.
