Demonstration in front of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, filtering reservoirs on the A21, wall in front of the Ardennes prefecture… The farmers began a second week of mobilization on Monday, November 25, a few weeks before their professional elections.
In Arras, a hundred of them headed to the prefecture early in the morning, crossed the city in about fifty tractors and dumped bales of straw, pallets, tires and manure in front of the prefecture, a journalist from the Agency confirmed. France-Presse (AFP). According to Patrick Legras, farmer and president of the Rural Coordination (CR) of Altos de Francia, “Income problems are fundamental for at least 50% of farmers”.
“The year was catastrophic in many areas (cereals, bluetongue, etc.) on livestock farms. The only thing they offer us are loans to pay loans”he lamented. “They always ask us for more low-cost products and that is not possible, with standards that are increasingly important to us”For his part, stressed Damien Salomon, co-president of the CR of Pas de Calais.
“Let’s stop the regulations that are killing our jobs”
After a first week of mobilizations against the free trade agreement that the European Union is negotiating with the Latin American countries of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), agricultural unions continue their actions to denounce the “impediments” and the “standards”.
In the Ardennes, the Departmental Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FDSEA) took action against the prefecture of Charleville-Mézières and the sub-prefectures of Sedan, Rethel and Vouziers. According to the prefecture, 121 tractors and 178 farmers were mobilized in the department.
With concrete and cement blocks, “We are going to build walls to represent the distance that separates the farmer from the administration”Thierry Huet, facilitator of the FDSEA des Ardennes, told AFP. “The message is to stop excessive transpositions, stop regulations that are killing our jobs.Mr. Huet added. Today agriculture has three essential problems: there is no money, although we have had a catastrophic year in climatic terms, there is the FCO [fièvre catarrhale ovine] and prices that are not remunerative. »
In Vierzon, in the Cher, several dozen farmers organized, at the request of the Rural Coordination, leaks on the A20 motorway linking Toulouse with Paris, targeting French and foreign heavy refrigerated vehicles. According to Bison futé, on Monday two filtering reservoirs were installed in the direction of Toulouse-Vierzon and then at the A20/A71 tollbooth.
