FARMERS FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL

HUNDREDS of farmers took part in tractor protests in Inca and Campos yesterday in an attempt to save their livelihoods.
The protest, which spread to Minorca where police had to be called to ease the tension outside local government offices, was organised by the Farmers' Union and local cooperatives and came on the eve of a massive demonstration in Madrid which is expected to attract over 100'000 angry farmers today.

The agricultural sector has been calling for more state aid for years but the recession has all but wiped the industry out, they claim.
Under the slogan “farming is going bust”, farmers across the country hope that, this time, the government will listen to their plea.

The Secretary General of the Farmers' Union here in Majorca, Biel Torrens, said yesterday “we are well aware that all sectors of industry have been hit by the recession, but we've been struggling for the past five years because we've watched our income tumble by a quarter during that time.” Torrens said that the farmers want action and aid to come from central and local governments as well as the European Union.