The European Union has increased its offer of compensation to farmers for the E. coli outbreak to ¤210 million ($306 million), according to AP. EU Farm Commissioner Dacian Ciolos had initially proposed ¤150 million ($219 million) to the struggling farmers, who have tons of unwanted cucumbers and tomatoes rotting in fields and warehouses, as Europeans shun vegetables, fearing they are contaminated with a deadly strain of E. coli. But big producers like Spain, Italy and France called for more aid and he was forced to increase the offer. A final decision will be made Tuesday by EU member states. -- SPA
