“producing in France costs 20% more than in the rest of Europe,” says the president of Agricultural Cooperation

Anger is still brewing among farmers, who have launched protest actions across France since last weekend. Among their main demands is the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur which would allow South American countries to export certain foodstuffs to the Old Continent exempt from customs duties. For Dominique Chargé, president of Agricultural Cooperation, the current agreement, which has not yet been signed by the members of the European Union, «expose [les agriculteurs] unfairly in sectors already in difficulty”like the beef industry.

Under the agreement with Mercosur, 99,000 tonnes of beef could be imported into Europe, or 1.6% of EU production. “Just because it doesn’t amount to much doesn’t mean it’s a good deal.”judge Dominique Chargé, guest this Wednesday morning on Radio Classique. “Producing in France costs 20% more than in the rest of Europe”assures the president of Agricultural Cooperation, who adds that “production standards are also higher” compared to those of the Mercosur countries.

Also read
Anger of farmers: first trial by fire for Annie Genevard, propelled to government

A “concern” linked to the budget

Concerning the 2025 budget, under debate in the Senate, Dominique Chargé does not hide his “worry”. “It is not up to the agri-food industry, which employs more than 400,000 people in France, to pay the budget”chants the representative of French agricultural cooperatives. He also regrets that with the dissolution of the Assembly decided by Emmanuel Macron, “three months” have been lost in negotiations related to farmers.

This Wednesday, the latter will be at work in the South-West, while the first agricultural union, the FNSEA, welcomed a “first victory” with the announcement of a vote in the National Assembly on the agreement with Mercosur. On the A9 motorway, at the Boulou tollbooth (Pyrénées-Orientales), farmers from the Rural Coordination established a roadblock on Tuesday, blocking goods trucks but allowing cars to pass, around ten kilometers from the Spanish border.