Farmers threaten to ‘block country’ in further mass disruption

Farming unions across France have threatened to mount further action this month, including plans to block train freight, unless they receive a “strong and immediate decision from the government”.

“We have 15 days to finish harvesting the little crop we have, and to sow, and then we're off,” said José Perez, union co-president of the Coordination rurale union in Lot-et-Garonne (CR47), to Le Parisien.

The CR47, which was particularly strident during the major farm protests and blockades in January this year, called this week (Monday, November 5) for new action starting on November 19. It also called for all rail freight to be blocked if the government fails to respond.

“The countdown is over, it's time for the agricultural revolt!” the CR47 said in a press release. “The CR47 is calling on all farmers to appear in front of their prefectures on November 19 to ask the government to make a last stand.

“‘Without a strong and immediate decision from the government [the next day] farmers will blockade French food freight to give the government a taste of what our country would be like, tomorrow, without farmers,” it said.

Union co-president Mr Perez said that this was a “national appeal”, with particular focus on the south-west, Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. “We're going to ask the prefects for meetings on the 19th, and if we don't get any response, we'll blockade the country.”

Read also: Farmers plan more motorway blockades, claims French protest leader 

National action

Other major farming unions, including the alliance between the FNSEA and the Jeunes Agriculteurs (JA), are also likely to join the movement, having already announced intentions to launch “national action” in November (although they have not yet specified a date).

Read also: When and why are French farmers threatening new national protests 

In January, the CR47 was particularly active, having organised a tractor convoy to the Rungis market in Paris, a few days after starting a fire of agricultural waste in front of the prefecture in Agen.

And in March, around a hundred CR farmers forced their way into the regional council offices, dumping liquid manure as they left, causing damage of €35,000. In October, the CR47 threatened to “blockade” the town after one of their members was summoned to a hearing as a result of the action.

‘Empty gestures’?

The threat of action is continuing despite the government having announced some changes in response to the farmers’ demands and to help them with cash flow.

Minister for Agriculture Annie Genevard has presented two measures:

• The first is “a short-term loan for economic difficulties”. The government is currently negotiating with the banking sector for a reduced rate of “between 1.5 and 2%”, it said.

• The second states that farmers whose difficulties “jeopardise the very survival of the farm” can restructure their debt to make it more sustainable, via a “longer-term loan of five to seven years”, with a 50% government guarantee.

Ms Genevard has also said that the government is set to offer a €50 million envelope that would exempt “the farmers most in difficulty” from part of their social security contributions for the year 2024.

Read also: Farmers step up protest action in south-west France 

Yet, the farming community has said it fears that these moves are “just empty gestures”, and is still calling for more.

“Nothing [concrete], apart from the tax changes to gazole non routier (GNR, non-road diesel), has been done since the first demonstrations,” Mr Perez said. “The situation of farmers is catastrophic. Today, 30% of farmers are saying that they won't be starting up again next year. 

“The French are being ripped off, and the supermarkets are continuing to make money off our products. Costs have not gone down,” he said.