Farmers protested with tractors in Paris against high agricultural costs (Anatolia)
Farmers in France are preparing to protest on Saturday against President Emmanuel Macron's visit to a major agricultural exhibition in Paris, amid anger over the high costs of agriculture, bureaucracy and the Green Deal.
A member of the largest farmers' union in France said that farmers will try to prevent Macron from entering the trade fair, adding that if the French president is able to enter, farmers will disrupt his visit, as he put it.
In another sign of the extent of tense relations between farmers and the French government, Macron canceled a discussion session he had wanted to hold at the agricultural exhibition on Saturday with farmers, food processing companies and retailers, after representatives of farmer unions said they would not attend.
Yesterday, Friday, dozens of tractors entered the French capital to protest against the high agricultural costs and the French government’s agricultural policy. One of the tractors carried a banner that read: “Macron, you are sowing the seeds of the storm, be careful what you reap.”
It is noteworthy that the Paris Agricultural Exhibition is a major annual event in France, attracting about 600,000 visitors over its nine-day session.
Farmers are protesting across Europe, demanding better incomes and less bureaucracy, and complaining of unfair competition from cheap Ukrainian goods.
The European Union had exempted Ukrainian food imports from customs duties in 2022 to support Kiev's economy after Russia launched its war on Ukraine.
Farmers are also protesting against the Green Deal, which includes the Common Agricultural Policy in place in the European Union since January 2023.
Its articles apply to more than 6 million farmers in Europe, and provide for reducing the impact of agriculture on the environment and removing carbon in the sector, but farmers oppose it on the grounds that it leads to a reduction in agricultural production.
Source: Al Jazeera + French