Threats of blockage, Mercosur… On TF1, Annie Genevard says she “hears” agricultural anger but warns

Farmers are ready to bring out the tractors. Despite numerous emergency aid and government announcements, agricultural mobilization is resuming in France. Less than a year after a movement of historic scale, the majority alliance in France FNSEA-JA called for national actions once winter sowing is completed, “from mid-November” . For its part, Rural Coordination, the second agricultural union in the country, promises “an agricultural revolt” starting November 19 with a “blocking food freight”.

Guest of “Bonjour! La Matinale TF1”, Annie Genevard said “entendre” et “to understand” the anger of the agricultural world. If the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry indicated that she was a “woman of dialogue” however, she warned farmers tempted by reprehensible actions. “There must be no violence against the police, no damage to public property or disorder as we approach the Christmas holidays”an important period for traders and artisans, underlined Annie Genevard, who “invites everyone to a spirit of responsibility”. “The French love farmers, we must not break or damage this bond”estimated the political leader, general secretary of the Republicans.

Mercosur, “a bad agreement”

The Minister of Agriculture also recalled that the measures taken by the government to appease the anger of farmers were included in the 2025 Budget. “I honored the commitments made by the State and I added other measures because the crisis has intensified in certain territories”indicated Annie Genevard. She reiterated the importance of “simplification measures”, “essential” to resolve the crisis, and defended the “single administrative control”a measure “highly requested” by farmers with the aim of limiting visits to one per year and per farm, outside of tax or judicial control or compliance with drought orders.

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Annie Genevard also recalled France's opposition to the European Union's free trade agreement with Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia). “We do not want this agreement because it is bad, it will happen (Editor’s note: in case of signature) quantities of products including substances banned in our country, at the cost of deforestation”underlined Annie Genevard, opposed to this “unfair competition”. According to the minister, it is “very unlikely” that this controversial draft treaty be signed at the G20 summit on November 18 and 19 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A respite for the executive, while the adoption of the treaty would provoke renewed anger among French agricultural circles.