Thousands of angry European farmers on Monday set off fireworks, blared horns and blocked Brussels streets with tractors as they demanded emergency EU funds to help them cope with plunging food prices. The protest involving mainly Belgian, French and German farmers targeted the heavily-guarded European Union headquarters where agriculture ministers were due to meet to tackle the crisis. A combination of factors, including changing dietary habits, slowing Chinese demand and a Russian embargo on Western products in response to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, has pushed down prices for beef, pork and milk. “Europe is drowning in milk,” according to banners held aloft by farmers representing the European Milk Board. A group of French milk producers from Calvados said they were demanding a fair price for their produce. In France, the agriculture minister has estimated that around 10 percent of farms — approximately 22,000 sites — are on the brink