Bogota, June 24 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Coffee cultivators and other farmers threatened to initiate a mass national strike in the second half of July if the government continues to ignore their demands.

Over 20,000 producers of coffee, sugar, milk and other products marched Monday around the country, demanding the government reduce input costs provide subsidies for production costs.

The coffee-production sector denounced the low prices of coffee, which fail to cover the high costs of production, including fertilizers and fuel.

Colombian farmers are already heavily in debt, which is why they have held mass strikes over the last two years. “We wish to draw the attention to how abandoned rural areas are due to the insufficient measures to help rural workers and promote the integral development of these areas,” coffee producer Ruben Dario, who co-organized the event told teleSUR.

Colombia is the third biggest exporter of coffee in the world, after Brazil and Vietnam.

In February 2013, the movement Dignidad Cafetera began a 12-day strike blocking the main roads of the country. The strike ended after an agreement with the government.