From Reuters, January 22:
French farmers will continue to protest pending government action, union representatives told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Farming Minister Marc Fesneau to address the reasons for the demonstrations.
"We told him (Attal) we wouldn't settle for words," Arnaud Rousseau, head of FNSEA, France's largest farm union, told reporters after the meeting. "We told (him) that, to build confidence, he needed to go into the field. He committed to meeting farmers in the field in the coming days"Fesneau said the first proclamations for farmers would be presented this week, French news broadcast television BFM TV reported.Farmers in France are protesting over price pressures, taxes, and green regulation - grievances shared by farmers across Europe.Farmers blocked roads in parts of France last week in action similar to widespread protests by farmers in Germany.
They cite a government tax on tractor fuel, cheap imports, water storage issues, price pressures from retailers and government red tape among their grievances.
President Emmanuel Macron is wary of farmers' growing support for the far right ahead of the European Parliament elections in June. The government has put a draft farming law on hold, saying it wanted to hear from farming representatives first to include additional measures to support the sector....
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