The French minister of agriculture Bruno Le Maire met yesterday with representatives from the fruit and vegetables industry to draw up a plan to tackle the crisis affecting the sector, as well as the issue of producers reimbursing state aid.
Mr Le Maire promised farmers an “immediate support plan”, including the payment of contributions and the lessening of certain financial charges. He also agreed to authorise “ventes au déballage” sales in supermarket car parks for another weekend in order to help clear stocks of fruit.
However, representatives of the sector reiterated that producers would not pay the €500m demanded by the EU. “We will not pay today and we will not pay tomorrow,” said François Lafitte, head of fruit and vegetable producers’ union Fédécom.
Mr Le Maire said he would “defend producers’ interests” and would negotiate a decrease in the sum demanded by Brussels.
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