Greece farmers protest for subsidies

ATHENS - Greek farmers protesting over subsidies blocked 10 of the country’s key road links Saturday.

The farmers began their protest Friday, using their tractors in four blockades.

The blockades were set up 90 and 120 km north of Athens and 70 and 140 km south of the port city of Thessaloniki. Motorists were forced to make detours to avoid adding three to four hours to the usual five-hour trip between Athens and Thessalonki.

Blockades were also set up along the east-west highway linking western Greece and Turkey.

Farmers’ unions plan to blockade border crossings into Bulgaria and Macedonia as of Monday, according to radio reports.

The farmers are demanding more state support amid reduced European Union subsidies and falling market prices. The average income in Greece has declined by around a quarter over the past decade, according to farm unions.