Farmers will drive their vehicles from Ta' Qali to Floriana late on Friday morning in a protest over EU policies, which they say will threaten their livelihoods.

Friday's protest is expected to start at 11.30am from the vegetable market, going through Attard, Mosta, Lija, Birkirkara, Msida and Pieta and Floriana. 

The 12km protest drive is being organised by the Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi and food producers from other sectors are also invited to join. 

It follows similar protests in other EU countries. Angry farmers have protested in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania in recent weeks.

Their demands include lower taxes, cheaper electricity and fuel and stronger import controls. There is also fury over EU rules that they say make farming more difficult.

Farmers clogged up the streets of Brussels on Thursday morning as EU leaders held a regular summit meeting. 

Farmers say it is becoming harder than ever to make a decent living as energy and fertilizer costs surge because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, more and cheaper farm imports make it hard to compete, and climate change-fueled droughts, floods or fires destroy crops.