Greece: Tobacco farmers block highways

Source AP

Greek tobacco farmers are blocking two major highways to protest planned European Union reductions on crop subsidies. Police say they began diverting traffic after hundreds of farmers parked their tractors on the highways in central Greece for a second day in a row on Wednesday. The farmers say their incomes will be cut by more than 50 percent when the EU tobacco subsidy reforms begin next year. Greek farmers also have been hurt over the past few years by cuts in EU subsidies for cotton and sugar.