Farmers in Brittany, northern France staged chaotic protests over the weekend. Farmers dumped vegetables and other surplus produce in the streets during the protests against falling farm incomes and the handling of the Russian trade embargo.

Disgruntled farmers dumped trailer-loads of potatoes, vegetables and manure in the town of Morlaix during the unrest on Friday night.  Some protestors also set fire to an insurance office outside the town, before driving into Morlaix on tractors and starting a blaze at a government tax office. Officials said that the mutual building was reduced to a shell in the blaze.

Around 100 farmers are thought to have taken part in the dramatic protest, which was organised by a vegetable growers' union. The protesting farmers said they cannot cope with falling farm gate prices and claimed they are struggling with excessive taxation.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls condemned the protestors' actions and claimed demonstrators had prevented fire fighters from tackling the blaze at Morlaix's government offices. The Prime Minister said those responsible for the fires will be punished.   

Agriculture minister Stéphane LeFoll added that he also condemns "in the strongest possible terms" the actions of protestors; LeFoll said the demonstrators behind the fire at the insurance offices had attacked "a tool for social protection for all farmers."

Although he owned that the Russian embargo on food and drink imports is having an effect on Europe's farmers, the farming minister said the government has worked "ceaselessly" to provide support for affected farmers, and added that "the cauliflower and artichoke crisis is largely one of overproduction," related to this year's weather.

Both ministers called for calm and sought to draw attention to upcoming meetings and negotiations with farm groups which Stéphane LeFoll will be attending this week.

However, speaking on Saturday, the local mayor displayed more sympathy for the farmers. Agnès LeBrun told the French press that farmers in the country have been "sounding the alarm for the last two weeks, even months."