French farmers stage tractor strike again against Mercosur deal

(CLO) On Monday (November 17), farmers across France held protests against the possibility of reaching a trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur countries (including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay).

They fear that the deal will increase foreign competition, worsening the agricultural crisis.

French farmers block a road with tractors to protest against the EU-Mercosur free trade deal in Paris, France, November 17, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq

Years of negotiations between the EU and Mercosur are nearing a final deal by the end of the year, sparking outrage in France. European farmers were upset last winter by a surge in imports from Ukraine.

In France, however, the situation was made worse by poor harvests, livestock diseases that increased costs and reduced output, and delayed policy promises.

“Our demands from January are still not being met,” said Armelle Fraiture, a dairy farmer north of Paris. “We need the government to understand that it is time to act.”

French farmers are particularly concerned that the Mercosur deal will increase imports of beef, chicken, sugar and corn from Brazil and Argentina, countries that use methods banned by the EU, such as the use of pesticides and antibiotics for growth.

Arnaud Rousseau, president of the French National Farmers' Federation (FNSEA), called the deal "the last straw" amid financial difficulties for many farmers. According to him, tens of thousands of farms in France, the EU's largest agricultural producer, are facing bankruptcy.

Farmers have planned protests between now and mid-December, mostly in front of government buildings. On Sunday, a small group used tractors to block part of a highway near Paris, holding signs that read: “Stop importing the agriculture we don’t want.”

Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron has reiterated his opposition to the Mercosur deal as it stands. But with France lacking enough allies in EU negotiations and deep rural resentment, the government may struggle to appease farmers.

"We farmers know we will go to protest, but we don't know when we will return," Armelle Fraiture expressed her determination.

Hong Hanh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nong-dan-phap-lai-bieu-tinh-may-keo-phan-doi-thoa-thuan-voi-mercosur-post321784.html