intervention price

There is still no indication of whether the commission will increase the so-called intervention price for milk - that is the price at which Europe buys milk and milk powders to shore up the market.

Mr Hogan had been resistant to calls for an increase in the so-called intervention price at which the EU buys product to support the market.

He also called on the EU to assist farmers by raising the intervention price to protect the dairy industry.

Small-scale smuggling had occurred previously but volumes have jumped with the advent of the high intervention price.

The intervention price of $480 per tonne of unmilled rice translates to $750 a tonne for milled rice.