01:05Germany: Milk farmers block streets of Munich in dairy price protest
Hundreds of milk farmers gathered on Odeonsplatz and the Bavarian Staatskanzlei in central Munich with their tractors in protest against low milk prices, Tuesday. Carrying placards reading "Milk-Grexit, we demand no money," the protesters blew milk powder and waved cow bells as they marched through the city.
Organised by the Bundesverband Deutscher Milchviehhalter BDM (the Federal Association of German Dairy Farmers), the protesters blame German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the policies of the European Union for implementing policies that have seen milk prices plummet across the continent. The farmers are demanding greater governmental regulation on milk and other products.
Falling prices for agricultural produce have been partially attributed to recent changes in the market caused by EU sanctions placed on Russia, to which in turn Russia banned EU imports. In 2013, Russia imported €6.1 billion ($6.7 billion) of meat products in total. The largest suppliers came from now-banned countries like Denmark (6.6% of total Russian meat products) and Germany (6.4%).
Dozens of farmers also gathered outside the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Berlin on Monday to protest against falling prices for agricultural products and the European Union's response to the crisis. Both protests follow a trend of action by farmers across Europe, with similar protests held in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain.
01:05Hundreds of milk farmers gathered on Odeonsplatz and the Bavarian Staatskanzlei in central Munich with their tractors in protest against low milk prices, Tuesday. Carrying placards reading "Milk-Grexit, we demand no money," the protesters blew milk powder and waved cow bells as they marched through the city.
Organised by the Bundesverband Deutscher Milchviehhalter BDM (the Federal Association of German Dairy Farmers), the protesters blame German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the policies of the European Union for implementing policies that have seen milk prices plummet across the continent. The farmers are demanding greater governmental regulation on milk and other products.
Falling prices for agricultural produce have been partially attributed to recent changes in the market caused by EU sanctions placed on Russia, to which in turn Russia banned EU imports. In 2013, Russia imported €6.1 billion ($6.7 billion) of meat products in total. The largest suppliers came from now-banned countries like Denmark (6.6% of total Russian meat products) and Germany (6.4%).
Dozens of farmers also gathered outside the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Berlin on Monday to protest against falling prices for agricultural products and the European Union's response to the crisis. Both protests follow a trend of action by farmers across Europe, with similar protests held in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain.