European Farmer Union Copa-Cogeca has suggested advanced delivery of direct payments, establishing alternative markets for produce and speeding up promotion campaigns to stimulate extra demand as part of a range of ‘extraordinary measures’, should the market warrant it.

Predicting EU Commission action on fruit and vegetable prices to be inadequate, Copa-Cogeca said prices had begun ‘spiralling out of control’.

This is according to Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen, who outlined Russia’s 10 per cent share of the EU market as being worth €11 billion annually.

Mr Pesonen said: “The ban is hitting many countries across Europe hard. Farmers and agri-cooperatives are already confronted by serious challenges like poor weather and this is the last thing they need.

“The dispute is not our fault yet its our sector that is being hit the most”.

Farmers Unions from across Europe will gather in Brussels next week to discuss the ban's market impact and formulate further action.

This will be ahead of EU ministers meeting on September 5.

Mr Pesonen backed Polish fruit and vegetable growers expressing discontent at prices on the streets of Brussels yesterday (26 August) which followed Spanish producer demonstrations over the weekend.

The Commission has also been urged to support the dairy sector, which has seen major prices collapses in some member states.