It has been a year since farmers expressed their discontent, but government promises remain in vain and despite manifestations intense last winter, the FDSEA of Creuse et AND 23 are still demanding the answers they have not obtained to their demands!
At the call of the FDSEA of Creuse and JA 23, nearly 450 farmers mobilized for two days to make their voices heard, once again, and to demonstrate peacefully against the signing of the free trade agreement with the countries of Mercosur. This mobilization occurs while the G20 is currently being held in Brazil.
Farmers in the dark
On Sunday, November 17 at nightfall, nearly 300 farmers gathered in their cantons for Act 1 of this new mobilization. They covered the signposts with black tarpaulins that read “NO TO MERCOSUR” or the names of large cities in South American countries. They then arranged to meet the next day at 7 p.m. in front of the prefecture in Guéret.
Fires of Wrath
The farmers, as determined as ever, lit five fires in front of the prefecture gates, representing key themes of the movement.
Read also-> No to Mercosur: fires of anger throughout the Massif-central
One more symbolism which joins the strong images of the previous year, where signposts had been turned over to mark the absurdity of a system which is going on its head. This year, the panels were covered to illustrate the total darkness in which farmers find themselves facing the future of their profession. “We are in total limbo, and it is an increasingly difficult fight,” says Christian Arvis, president of the FDSEA 23.
“No to Mercosur”
The farmers' demands remain the same, with the added bonus of the risk of signing the agreement with Mercosur. This would allow the entry into the European market of agricultural products from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, which is seen as a threat to French agriculture. “This agreement, if signed as is, is a disaster for our country’s agriculture. It represents unfair competition, with products that do not respect the same standards as those imposed on French farmers,” underlines Christian Arvis.
One of the main demands from farmers concerns “mirror clauses”: they require that exporting countries respect the same production standards as those imposed on French producers. “We cannot accept that we are asked to produce according to strict criteria, while letting in products that do not respect them,” laments Florian Derboule, president of JA 23.
Future emergency
Farmers, united behind their unions FDSEA and JA, also insist on the need to preserve the profitability of their activity. “It's a job that we do out of passion, but at the end of the month, we barely have enough to live on. The situation is dramatic, and it is time for the Government to move from words to action,” continues Florian Derboule.
Pascal Lerousseau, president of the Chamber of Agriculture, also took part in the demonstration, expressing his concern about the signing of this agreement. “If the agreement with Mercosur passes, there will be no more farmers in France. We cannot accept that products of questionable quality invade our market,” he warns.
A peaceful mobilization
The mobilization is intended to be peaceful, but the pressure is mounting. “We are not asking for money, just common sense,” insists Christian Arvis. “If the Government does not listen to us, we will go further. We have the capacity to block the country, and we will do so if necessary,” he warns, emphasizing the determination of farmers.
The prefect, present on the scene, reacted by recalling that certain measures had been taken to respond to the concerns of the agricultural world. However, with the dissolution of the National Assembly and the cessation of the examination of the agricultural orientation law, farmers remain in uncertainty. “Come and see us when you are faced with difficult situations,” added the prefect, suggesting that the road to a solution remains strewn with pitfalls. Thus, a year after the first mobilization, farmers remain more on the alert than ever, determined to defend their future and that of French agriculture in the face of a government that they still consider too slow to react.
“Thank you to all elected officials, consumers and all the farmers present. Together we defend our territories, our farms and our food sovereignty,” concluded Christian Arvis.
Read also-> No to Mercosur: fires of anger throughout the Massif-central
