Italy Down Under

.Dairy farmers poured three million litres of milk into a Belgian field in a bid to highlight their desperation over falling prices. The stunt, in southern Wallonia region, came as a campaign group, Via Campesina, said at least three milk farmers have committed suicide in France over the past week, while more than 40,000 producers have stopped supplying milk. Dairy product prices have collapsed due to low demand caused by the financial and economic crisis. “Desperation is pushing more and more producers to join the movement,” European Milk Board chief Romuald Schaber told a press conference, adding that politicians “must act at once” to address the plight of 100,000 farmers. Demonstrations have been held in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. [...]