Farming in peril

Across Europe the farmers are revolting. In Holland, their protests against new environmental regulations on nitrogen pollution forged a new political movement which looks set to be a key part of the next government. In Germany, farmers have been demonstrating against increased diesel prices as well as new rules on fertiliser use imposed by the EU. In France, the weekend saw thousands descend on Paris, blockading the roads into the capital with their tractors and farm machinery.

The new French prime minister Gabriel Attal is seeking to defuse the protests with concessions, including pledges to enforce a law guaranteeing fair farm-gate prices and to be “pitiless” towards the supermarkets. However, this follows a period in which ministers have been urging retailers to cut prices to bear down on inflation.

The cost of living crisis, low prices from supermarkets, and energy bill increases have conspired to make farmers fear for their future.

These are compounded by EU regulations demanding changes to their way of farming that will merely hasten their bankruptcy.

The push for “sustainability” through mandatory crop rotation policies and carbon reductions is being pursued by Brussels in total disregard to the economic hardships facing the farmers. British farmers will share many of the concerns for the future of their continental brethren. They are being asked to make reforms that render them uncompetitive with imports from countries that do not follow such strict rules.

Bureaucrats are risking food supply security across the continent with little thought to the consequences. These protests will not end soon.