French farmers converge on Paris, driving their tractors on the motorway, outside Paris, France, September 3, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

Tractors converged on Paris' Place de la Nation, a regular venue for demonstrations, ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Manuel Valls and a delegation of farm union officials.

Police counted 1,580 tractors, 91 buses and 50 cars carrying farmers. The FNSEA put the figure at 1,733 tractors.

"We need visibility for our future, a decent revenue to support our families," livestock farmer Philippe Nivost, 55, said, alongside the two cows he brought from central France.

The Socialist government has promised fresh measures will be announced on Thursday to address farmer concerns.

France has found some support from fellow EU members in southern Europe for extra action to help dairy farmers, given a severe market downturn.

But European Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has warned against going back on market reforms, and French Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll failed on Monday to agree on specific proposals with his German counterpart ahead of the EU council.