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"Thousands" of tractors to join Brussels milk protest on Sept. 7: media

Xinhua, September 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

"Thousands" of dairy farmers from across Europe will park their tractors outside the European Council building in Brussels on Sept. 7 in a protest calling for "a fair price" for their work, the European Milk Board (EMB) campaign group announced on Wednesday.

The demonstration in the Belgian capital next Monday will coincide with an extraordinary meeting of the Agriculture Council of the European Union, where farming ministers from across the EU will discuss what the EMB described as the "crisis" facing Europe's dairy industry.

The EMB said in a news release that it was expecting "thousands of people and hundreds of tractors," while the group's spokesman Erwin Schopges told Belgian local media on Wednesday that more than 5,000 farmers and 1,000 tractors were likely to take part.

Dutch-language newspaper De Morgen reports that the EMB is expecting delegations from every EU country to join the protest, and quoted Schopges as saying: "We are fighting for our survival."

The milk group, which represents about 100,000 dairy producers in 15 European countries, said dairy farmers are angry that an export drive is leading to higher milk production levels and lower prices.

EMB president Romuald Schaber said in a news release: "Strong protests by dairy farmers are flaring up all over Europe. The farmers are furious and are now coming to Brussels on Sept. 7 to denounce loudly and clearly the current EU policy of unlimited production."

He added: "It is important for us that the public understands there are good and bad strategies for the milk market, and that people know that the dairy farmers are demonstrating for cuts in volumes, not subsidies, to enable a fair price to be achieved."

The milk producers' demonstration is scheduled for 11:00 Belgian time (0900 GMT) on Sept. 7 at the European Council building in Brussels, with a second group of tractors taking part in a go-slow protest from the city's North Station towards the EU district at about the same time.

Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reports that Brussels police are expecting very heavy traffic on the day and recommends that locals take public transport and avoid travelling by car.

A separate procession to show solidarity towards the dairy farming sector is planned in the EU district of Brussels on Sept. 6, the afternoon before the Agriculture Council meeting. Endit