France’s supermarkets have been rocked by the news that farmers in the country plan to block over half the supply lines to supermarkets starting from today.
Today also marked the start of a national day of action launched by the FNSEA union, while farmers were still blocking the logistics centres of some of France’s major retailers in the Grand-Ouest region, most for the third day running.
The Jeunes Agriculteurs (young farmers) said that they wished to make known the supermarkets’ practice of squeezing farmers’ incomes as a means of maintaining prices and their own profits.
One farmer and member of the FDSEA union, Emmanuel Eustace, told Le Figaro newspaper: “What profession would accept to work without knowing in advance what price they can sell their product and even if they can make a profit?”
“The protest is about the margins of the distributors,” added Daniel Corbel of French interprofessional organisation Interfel. “They are requesting more transparency so that everyone can get a reasonable income from his own work.”
Reports suggest that the blockage is likely to have an impact on weekend shopping throughout the country.
