Spanish fruit and vegetable producers have been hardest hit by the collapse in sales during the crisis, after German officials initially blamed cucumbers from Spain for causing the outbreak that has so far killed 23 people.

“No, it’s not enough for Spain,” said the country’s Farm Minister Rosa Aguilar, when asked about the European Commission’s initial compensation offer of €150 million.

“What we will propose is that there should be a response to all producers... for 100 percent of the real market value of the losses,” Aguilar said at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Luxembourg.

EU farm commissioner Dacian Ciolos earlier said the money would go to growers of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuces, cucumbers and courgettes who have been affected since the disease outbreak at the beginning of last month.

“I’ll start our proposition at €150 million,” Ciolos told reporters, though EU officials said the figure was just a starting point for discussions, and the total cost would depend on how long the crisis lasts. 

The Commission proposal would see producers receive up to 30 percent of the total value of products they withdraw from the market, said EU agriculture spokesman Roger Waite.

But ministers could decide to increase the percentage — and the total sum available — before the plan is put to a formal vote by EU member states in Brussels next Tuesday, Waite said.

Once approved, EU financial aid could be released to farmers by the end of June, he added.

Spain has estimated its own losses at €200 million per week since Germany blamed its produce for the outbreak. The source of the infection has not yet been identified.