Protesting farmers threaten to block roads, food deliveries in France

Farmers entered their third day of protests on Wednesday, November 20, as France’s leading agricultural union called for more mobilisations next week and another union called for protesters to block food freight. 

Arnaud Rousseau, head of France’s biggest farmers’ union the FNSEA, said it was calling for fresh protests on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. The union will be joined by the Young Farmers (JA) union in the protests. 

It comes amid nationwide farmer protests on Monday and Tuesday against issues including the EU’s proposed Mercosur trade agreement, and government aid promised last year that farmers say has been slow to materialise. 

‘Provoke chaos’

Protests are continuing on Wednesday in certain areas, notably the south-west, where the Coordination rurale (CR), France’s second-largest farmers’ union, said it wanted to “provoke chaos” to make itself heard. 

“We are going to intensify the blockade points and the demonstrations,” Karine Duc, from the CR union, told France Info on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday, farmers backed by the CR set up blockades along the A9 motorway close to France’s border with Spain, blocking lorries but allowing cars through, according to AFP. Videos on social media showed traffic jams of lorries at the border. 

The CR has called for freight to be blocked on Wednesday, sparking fears of possible supply issues – the A9 is a major trade route between Spain and the rest of Europe.

"It’s going to take several days to starve the country, but we will try to hold out as long as possible, that's for sure", said Laëtitia Plumat, member of the CR leadership team, according to France Info. 

“We will block everything that needs to be blocked so that we are finally listened to," said José Perez, head of the union in Lot-et-Garonne, according to BFMTV. 

Agriculture Minister Anne Genevard condemned certain “acts of destruction” and “blockades” on the margins of protests in areas including Guéret (Creuse) and Agen (Lot-et-Garonne). The minister said they were “unacceptable” and risked undermining the sympathy of the French towards farmers. 

Mr Rousseau, head of the less hardline FNSEA union, said calls for chaos from the CR union were “irresponsible”. He said the FNSEA wanted to “apply pressure” and needed to “get results quickly” from the government. 

First victory

On Tuesday, the FNSEA and JA hailed a “first victory” after Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced the Assemblée nationale would debate and vote on the Mercosur agreement next week. 

The agreement has seen widespread opposition across the political divide in France, a rare show of cross-party unity. President Macron, in Brazil for the G20 this week, said France would not sign the deal. 

Speaking on France 2 on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Genevard said commitments made by the government after last winter’s agricultural protests “are being kept or are about to be kept”. 

She said the government would support farmers who needed to be helped with their cash flow by the end of the year. 

Why is France so opposed to the Mercosur agreement?

The agreement, between the EU and the Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay would create the world’s largest free trade zone, and has sparked anger in France. 

The European Commision hopes to reach an agreement by the end of the year after two decades of negotiations. 

French farmers argue the deal would open the EU to cheaper meat imports, which they have said would be unfair competition. They argue a flood of imports from South American countries would not have to comply with strict EU standards on things like pesticides and environmental measures.