Crop compensation

Farmers whose sales have been hit by a deadly outbreak of E. coli in northern Germany, are to receive emergency financial aid from the European Union.

The EU approved 210 million euros ($304 million) of emergency aid on Tuesday, an increase on an original offer of 150 million which was considered too low by farm ministers.

"This scheme will allow the EU to pay producers for cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, courgettes and sweet peppers that have been withdrawn from the market as a result of the E. coli outbreak," the European Commission said in a statement.

The producers of these vegetables have suffered huge losses since the outbreak started on May 26, as consumers boycotted the products.

Last week German authorities confirmed the E. coli bacteria – which has killed at least 37 people – came from bean sprouts, clearing cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes which were previously blamed.

The deal

Under the deal, farmers will be paid a maximum 50 percent of the usual producer price in June, with a final figure to be confirmed on July 22 when EU member states confirm the volumes that need to be covered.

Spain, France and Slovakia voted against the package, saying the farmers deserved more help. Spanish farmers say they have lost 225 million euros every week since the crisis started. Farmers in the Netherlands put their losses at 70 million euros a week.

Farmers were further punished when Russia imposed a blanket ban on vegetables from the whole EU – a ban which Russia has now promised to lift.

EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolo said the deal showed "Europe can react quickly when it needs to."

Ciolo added he was "optimistic that consumption will pick up very quickly."

Youngest victim

On Tuesday, German authorities announced the death toll from the new strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) had reached 37, as a two-year-old boy became the latest, and youngest, victim.

The child died in hospital in Hanover overnight after having been in intensive care for several days. The rest of his family also fell ill but were said to be recovering.

The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's national disease agency, said Tuesday that since May 1, 3,235 cases had been reported in Germany but that the number of new infections being reported was in decline.

A kidney condition called HUS (haemolytic uraemic syndrome) which is linked to the EHEC infection is affecting 782 of those ill and could cause long-term kidney damage.

Author: Catherine Bolsover (dpa/Reuters/AFP)
Editor: Susan Houlton