Fruit and vegetable producers would be prepared to rally should the government demand the reimbursement of all or part of the state aid package granted them between 1992 and 2002, according to Jean-Michel Lemétayer, president of France’s main agricultural union, the FNSEA.
Mr Lemétayer said the government’s request, which followed a demand from the European Union, “seemed like a provocation to producers”. However, he stated that farmers wanted to discuss and negotiate before taking any action.
The minister of agriculture, Bruno Le Maire, is due to meet representatives from the agricultural sector this afternoon.
