Czech farmers to block border crossings Thursday in protest of EU accession terms

A key farm lobby has announced that Czech farmers who are dissatisfied over the terms of the Czech Republic's entry into the EU in 2004, are planning to block border crossings with Germany and Austria on Thursday. The Czech Agriculture Chamber said on Wednesday that farmers would go on a two-hour strike to block truck lines at four border crossings to the neighbouring countries, after the Czech government by-and-large agreed to EU proposals on farm aid, backing down from an earlier demand on increases to production limits for dairy and breeding cattle, as well as sugar exports. Thursday's blockade will follow a demonstration last week that saw thousands of angry Czech farmers descend on the Czech capital Prague to protest accession terms.