French fresh produce growers have reacted angrily to the announcement of a financial aid package totalling €25 million as part of a strategic plan for the sector announced by agriculture minister, Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday.
Of the €25m aid package, €15m is to be made readily available in the form of relief offered by banks and other agencies in the payment of statutory business charges and the remibursement of loans and debts while the remaining €10m targets structural measures to make businesses more competitive.
Reaction to the aid package by growers’ unions has been one of disappointment.
Angelique Delahaye, president of Légumes de France, which represents vegetables growers said: “It falls well short of the Marshall Plan we were looking for in response to the financial difficulty many of our members find themselves in today.
“In reality, the state is only contributing €10 million to the aid package and this is a very inadequate amount with which to address the structural issues we are facing.”
She said the overriding sentiment among her members was one of anger. “I can well imagine that this reflects the feeling among growers throughout the sector and there is probably a real risk of the protests we saw earlier this summer being resumed,” she said.
The strategic plan also makes recommendations on three sensitive issues - the relations between producers and retailers, the governance of the sector and a new regulatory framework for fruit and vegetable markers in the EU.
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