French farmers continue protests despite promise of new aid

PARIS -- Despite new aid promised by the French government, thousands of farmers in the country continued blockading major cities on Wednesday as they protest against low income, red tape, and "unfair competition" from other countries.

Eight highways leading to Paris remain partially closed due to the demonstrations. On the A6 motorway a few kilometers from Rungis, the main wholesale food market in Paris, a convoy of tractors was blocked by a police van and two armored vehicles. Tensions mounted as 15 tractor drivers were arrested for obstructing traffic, reported Franceinfo.

Around Lyon, farmers continued marching after blocking part of the A89 motorway on Tuesday evening. Across the country, the Ministry of Interior counted nearly 100 blocking points set up by some 10,000 mobilized farmers by midday on Wednesday. However, no clashes with police were reported.

"There can be no question (...) of having a blockade of this or that city. It's bad for everyone," French Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau told Sud Radio on Wednesday morning.

He announced that the government is putting an additional 80 million euros ($86.9 million) on the table to support wine-producing regions, adding that Prime Minister Gabriel Attal would make new proposals "by the end of the week."

Last week, Attal had announced a series of measures to simplify bureaucratic procedures and halt the rising cost of diesel fuel used for farming machinery.

Fesneau also said he had "hope that the European Commission will announce exemptions" on the "fallow obligations", which impose on farms a rate of 4 percent of fallow or non-productive areas. This is one of the issues that has provoked anger among farmers.

As well as falling incomes due to inflation and European Union requirements, French farmers are also angry at the influx of agricultural products from Ukraine, which since 2022 have benefited from the elimination of customs duties.

As to the free trade deal still in the works between the EU and South American bloc Mercosur, the French Minister of Agriculture said that "as long as we do not have something that avoids subjecting French and European farmers to unfair competition, there cannot be an agreement with Mercosur."