EU approves farmers' subsidies

European farmers will be given more government payments to help them tide through the economic downturn.

The European Commission has approved payments of US$22,000 to individual farmers in Italy, Lithuania and Hungary.

The money will be available though a mix of direct payments, loans and interest rate subsidies.

Farm businesses receiving assistance must prove they were viable before the financial crises hit in mid-2008. The payments will be available until the end of this year.