IN PICTURES. First actions of Côte-d’Or farmers, a mobilization to come “everywhere in the department”

Anger is burning again among farmers. On the evening of Sunday, November 17, the mobilization was relaunched in Arnay-le-Duc in Côte-d’Or. The unions point to measures that are too weak to respond to a complicated year for agriculture and fear an agreement between Europe and Mercosur.

Tarpaulins, cans, pallets, all brought by numerous tractors. No doubt, the anger of the agricultural world is burning again in Côte-d’Or. If these are only the first embers, they mark the renewal of coordinated national action.

Some town signs had not even recovered from the demonstrations at the end of last year. But already for several weeks, the discontent of farmers had only intensified.

In October, it was at the Burgundy-Franche-Comté regional council that the demonstrators forcefully made their demands heard. This Sunday, the first flame of the mobilizations was lit in Arnay-le-Duc.

The demonstrators spared no effort along the roads. The panels were covered with tarpaulins, barricades were erected… No doubt, there is something to revive memories of last January.

“It’s a bit like act two”admits Sylvain Fleury, farmer in Saint-Martin-de-la-Mer and canton vice-president of the Departmental Federation of Farmers (FDSEA) of Côte-d’Or. “We started the blockades with all the young people in January last year and we held out for five days while waiting for concrete responses from our government.

“We realize that we have had “measures”. Farmers do not walk with “measures”, we really need something concrete with money that can alleviate the financial difficulties. Above all, we need to manages to make a living from our product.”

This cattle breeder reminds us that the climatic conditions of this year 2024 have really complicated the task of farmers. Last August, operators even spoke of a “black year” – testimonies can be found in this article.

Jacques De Loisy, president of FDSEA 21, says more about the future of agricultural mobilization: “Return to where we were in January, that is to say in Arnay-le-Duc and everywhere in the department to demonstrate in relation to the reductions in charges, standards and restrictions on the act of agricultural production .”

A new action is announced on the evening of Monday, November 18. Burgundian farmers plan to meet near the Olympic swimming pool in Quetigny, in the metropolis of Dijon.

One of the biggest concerns for farmers lies more than 8,000 kilometers away. Emmanuel Macron is in South America, traveling from Argentina to Chile via Brazil. The fear of the demonstrators in France is based on the question of the treaty with Mercosur. They fear that Europe will sign a free trade treaty with the alliance of South American countries.

Jacques De Loisy explains this point in detail: “We are firmly committed to ensuring that no compromise is signed on Mercosur. Let us not import meat, cereals and other derivatives that we do not want in France and Europe. It would also be difficult to understand if Europe signed a agreement with Brazil which is part of the BRICS(+) when we know all the geopolitical issues behind it.”

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Farmers are also waiting for “recognition of land relief” on meadows and flooded areas. To achieve their objectives, numerous mobilizations are expected throughout the region.