Macron blames Ukraine for farmers’ blockade
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has blamed war-torn Ukraine’s cheap produce for deepening Europe’s agricultural crisis.
Farmers yesterday besieged cities including Paris as they demanded better pay and conditions plus less EU red tape.
On a visit to Sweden, Mr Macron demanded “clear measures on imports from Ukraine” because their volume and quality “are destabilising the European market”.
He added: “As far as poultry is concerned, it is indeed the arrival, in particular, of poultry that was much cheaper from Ukraine.”
One French union leader called for all imports from Ukraine to be cut.
Franck Laborde, head of France’s AGPM maize producer body, said Ukrainian poultry was not reared to adequate standards.
Starve
He said: “We are opening our doors wide to Ukrainian production so that they can finance the war. This is not acceptable. Agriculture is being sacrificed on the altar of war.”
Riot police used armoured cars to prevent a tractor convoy blockading the vast fresh food market Rungis to the south of Paris in the early hours of yesterday.
Grain farmer Benoit Durand said: “The goal is to starve Parisians. That’s it.”
Blockades of eight major routes into the city were still in place last night.
The French government has abandoned a planned increase in diesel fuel duties, offered £50million to organic farms and will fine stores underpaying for French produce.
But the farmers want far more and Mr Macron is due to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to do a deal.
Marine Le Pen is backing the farmers and her far-Right National Rally is 10 points ahead of Mr Macron’s Renaissance Party, say polls.