Over 5,000 Farmers Rally in Brussels Demanding EU Help Amid Low Food Prices

Over 5,000 European farmers and milk producers, as well as some 1,000 tractors, took Monday to the streets of Brussels to urge EU authorities to financially support the producers left on the brink of bankruptcy by low prices, undermined by cheap imports.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The rally is held in front of the headquarters of the EU Council, where an emergency summit of the Agriculture Council of the European Union, aimed at addressing the negative impact of Russia’s food embargo on the EU food market, will be carried out later in the day.

The protest takes place five days after French farmers drove over 1,500 tractors through the streets of Paris on Thursday demanding fair prices and more support from their government.

According to the Copa-Cogeca farm trade union, EU agricultural producers have claimed the damages of some $6.13 billion due to the food embargo.

In August 2014, Moscow imposed a one-year ban on the import of certain food products from the countries that had introduced sanctions against Russia. The food ban was later extended for another year.