Paris, September 4 (RHC)-- Seeking major changes from President Francois Hollande on multiple levels, French farmers have taken to the streets in and around Paris from across the country on foot or on board hundreds of slow-moving tractors, Press TV reports.

The protesters asked for price controls for their products, whose market values have nosedived, as well as government aid and recognition.

The protest took place as the bans imposed by Russia on Western food products in return for sanctions from the European Union have reduced markets' ability to sell their products and resulted in a sharp drop in commodity prices.

Meanwhile, the EU's free-trade policy permits the constant arrival of cheaper imports from East European farms.

France's Minister of Agriculture Stéphane Le Foll has estimated that nearly 10 percent of the country's farms are on the brink of bankruptcy with a combined debt of around EUR one billion (USD 1.11 billion).