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| Furious farmers block Brussels streets | Furious farmers block Brussels streets |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Thousands of European farmers took to the streets of Brussels on Monday to protest against plummeting prices for their produce. | Thousands of European farmers took to the streets of Brussels on Monday to protest against plummeting prices for their produce. |
| Mainly Belgian, French and German farmers blocked streets with tractors and set off fireworks to demand emergency EU funds. | Mainly Belgian, French and German farmers blocked streets with tractors and set off fireworks to demand emergency EU funds. |
| The protest targeted the European Union headquarters, where agriculture ministers were due to meet. | The protest targeted the European Union headquarters, where agriculture ministers were due to meet. |
| Milk producers have been particularly hard hit after deregulation this year. | Milk producers have been particularly hard hit after deregulation this year. |
| A number of factors - including changing dietary habits, slowing demand from China and a Russian embargo on Western food products - have hit prices for beef, pork and milk. | A number of factors - including changing dietary habits, slowing demand from China and a Russian embargo on Western food products - have hit prices for beef, pork and milk. |
| "Europe is drowning in milk," read banners held by farmers representing the European Milk Board. | "Europe is drowning in milk," read banners held by farmers representing the European Milk Board. |
| Police said that 4,800 farmers and about 1,450 tractors made up the protest. | |
| Environment secretary Liz Truss, who will represent the UK at Monday's meeting, will call for the creation of a dairy futures market, similar to those for grain and sugar. | Environment secretary Liz Truss, who will represent the UK at Monday's meeting, will call for the creation of a dairy futures market, similar to those for grain and sugar. |
| The government said such a move would help give the UK's dairy farmers more certainty over future prices. | The government said such a move would help give the UK's dairy farmers more certainty over future prices. |
| Last month, farming leaders and ministers held talks on the future of dairy farming in the UK following protests over milk prices. | |
| Some farmers have called for milk production quotas to be reintroduced to avoid them having to sell at a loss. | |
| Heinz Thorwarth, who went to Brussels from Fuchsstadt, southern Germany, said: "The milk price is under or around 28 cents [a litre]. And this is not enough even to cover the costs." | |
| France's agriculture minister has estimated that about 22,000 farms - 10% of the total - face bankruptcy and owe about €1bn (£730m) in total. | France's agriculture minister has estimated that about 22,000 farms - 10% of the total - face bankruptcy and owe about €1bn (£730m) in total. |
| Ministers were discussing the state of the EU's agriculture markets at a meeting in Brussels on Monday, with milk prices and the impact of Russian sanctions both on the agenda. | |
| The ban shut down the EU's main agricultural export market, worth some €5.5bn annually. | |
| "The countryside has had to shoulder the burden of the Russian ban," said Albert Jan Maat, president of European farmers association Copa. "Farmers are paying the price for international politics." | |
| In July, the EU extended until next year a multi-million-euro aid package to help European farmers hit by the Russian ban. | In July, the EU extended until next year a multi-million-euro aid package to help European farmers hit by the Russian ban. |