While the implementation of certain measures announced by the government is slow according to farmers, the president of the FNSEA has just announced a resumption of protest movements.
After the suspension of the farmers’ blocking movement, the situation does not seem to be improving quickly enough for the agricultural world. If the main agricultural union does not directly threaten the Agricultural Show which will take place from February 24 to March 3, Porte de Versailles, it still wanted to recall the impatience of the sector on certain very specific subjects. The next deadlines could move the lines, that is in any case what Arnaud Rousseau, president of the FNSEA, hopes.
“Actions aimed at large stores”
This Monday, February 12, 2024, Arnaud Rousseau was the guest of France Info to discuss the rest of the events concerning the anger of the agricultural world and to take stock of the current files after the negotiations with the government and the announcements of the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal. Problem is, this is still not enough and the lack of clarity over the coming weeks bothers the union.
Then, the president of the FNSEA announced new protest movements: “we have actions that will be carried out again, rather aimed at large supermarkets. There will be no national movement for the moment. The agricultural world do not threaten, I advocate the spirit of responsibility. Everyone wants it to work. We do not want to make the Salon de l’Agriculture a moment of tension and violence. The president is very aware that we need answers by then. We will make sure to have the most peaceful show possible. We will not give up on our ambitions between now and the show” he indicated.
Arnaud Rousseau invites us to use the existing European framework
For him, there are several subjects on which “we are not on the right track. On the environmental level, already, the concrete reality is that the cleaning is not done properly”. On the use of pesticides and the ecophyto plan, the strong man of the FNSEA regrets that on dangerous products, the efforts made are not rewarded at their fair value. “We went from 5,000 tonnes of products used in 2009 to 47 tonnes in 2024. What we want is to use the European indicator, because it shows the efforts made. We must create a dynamic”.
Less than two weeks before the start of the Salon de l’Agriculture, Arnaud Rousseau highlights “something solid and robust that exists” at the European level, so, “the signal must be given. There is also everything which corresponds to the declaration and the zoning. That worries us. The overlapping of zoning makes things complicated.” The latter hopes that very concrete announcements will be made before the Agricultural Show, and that a European framework will benefit France in the face of massive imports.
“HAS Brussels, we procrastinate on the fallows. I hope this week will be more decisive. This is a highly anticipated decision. There fallow, it is an obligation, even though we import a third of our food. We also need, before the European elections, to reopen subjects like the CAP. Themes which will take “more time” as Arnaud Rousseau consciously indicates, still speaking at France Info. See you in the coming days to find out the extent of the new actions carried out by the agricultural world and confirmed this Monday.