EU extends support to dairy and vegetable farmers affected by Russian food import ban

The European Union (EU) has extended its aid to support the exporters of dairy produce, fruits and vegetables that have been affected by the Russian ban.

The aid for the dairy sector, that is supposed to come to an end on 30 September, will be extended to 29 February next year, and the aid for fruit and vegetables producers will be extended to 30 June.

The Russian ban on products, including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and milk products from the US, EU nations, Norway, Canada, and Australia in retaliation to western sanctions over the country’s involvement in the Ukrainian crisis has affected thousands of producers in the banned nations.

Russia had been accused of supplying weapons and other support to pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. The country denied the allegations.

Farmers in France and Belgium are blocking roads in protest to high prices for their produce.

While the country had originally imposed the ban for one year, Russia recently extended it by another year.

The EU said in a statement: "The Russian Government announced the prolongation for another year of the unjustified and illegal ban on imports of agricultural products from the European Union until August 2016.

"As a consequence, existing pressure on milk and dairy product prices is expected to remain in the months to come. As for fruit and vegetables, the extension of the Russian ban means that an important export market continues to be unavailable to European producers, and this could cause significant price falls."

According to the BBC, the EU has provided support worth €155m to fruit and vegetable farmers. So far, it has been buying produce from farmers and distributing it for free to schools and hospitals or withdrawing it from the market completely.

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Image: Russia has extended its food ban for another year, affecting thousands of farmers. Photo: courtesy of Photokanok/ freedigitalphotos.net.