France, Jan. 29 -- French farmers will launch an indefinite "siege" of Paris beginning this Monday, choking off major highways and moving toward the capital as they demand better working conditions.

For days, nationwide protests have flared across France -Europe's largest agriculture producer,- with farmers angered in part by red tape and environmental policies they say are hurting their bottom lines and rendering them unable to compete with less stringent neighbours.

Across the country, farmers have used tractors and trucks to block roads and jam traffic. They plan to step up their pressure campaign by establishing eight chokepoints along the major arteries to Paris by Monday afternoon.

The government plans to mobilise some 15,000 pol...