The European Commission has announced it will provide aid of up to EUR 125M to agricultural producers affected by the Russian food embargo.

"The exceptional measures announced today will include market withdrawals especially for free distribution, compensation for non-harvesting and green harvesting. The financial assistance will cover all producers whether they are organized in producers organization or not. The measures will have a retroactive affect as from August 18," the EC said in a statement on Monday, adding that the measures would apply until the end of November.

"Taking into account the market situation following the Russian restrictions on imports of EU agricultural products, with effect from today, I am triggering CAP emergency measures which will reduce overall supply of a number of fruit and vegetable products on the European market as and when price pressures become too great in the coming months. All farmers of the concerned products - whether in producer organizations or not - will be eligible to take up these market support measures where they see fit. Acting early will provide an efficient support to the price paid to producers on the internal market, help the market adjust and be cost effective," said Dacian Ciolos, EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner.

The products concerned by the measures announced on August are the following: tomatoes, carrots, white cabbage, peppers, cauliflowers, cucumbers, and gherkins, mushrooms, apples, pear, red fruits, table grapes and kiwis.

According to EC sources speaking on condition of anonymity, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio, the aid is expected to mostly go to large-scale exporters of perishable fruit and vegetables to Russia such as Poland, Lithuania, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The measures are expected to be officially approved in a few weeks' time.