Irish farmers to join European protests over falling prices

The Irish Farmers Association is joining an international protest in Brussels today over the prices being paid for their produce.

It has been arranged to coincide with a crisis meeting of the EU Farm Council.

The IFA says Russia's ban on imports from the EU is having a detrimental effect on the market and on farmers' income levels.

President of the IFA Eddie Downey says other farming associations from around the EU will also be taking part in today's demonstration.

Mr Downey said: "This protest has been organised by COPA, which is all the farm organisations in Europe.

"You will have seen over the last number of months that farmers have been protesting all around Europe over the fact that commodity prices have fallen, and consistently fallen.

"We are in a situation now where European farmers and Irish farmers simply have no imcome from the price they are getting from their product."