Dozens of farmers blocked, Monday, July 20, the entries Caen (Calvados) to protest against the decline in selling prices of their production and demand respect of an agreement on the prices. Explanation of the reasons for a movement that has the ear of government.
If the movement was initiated by producers in the beef industry, they have been joined recently by pig farmers and dairy cows. Across all industries, 10% of farms are in financial difficulty, felt and Friday 17 July the Ministry of Agriculture. A crisis “without precedent” , assures Stéphane Le Foll, because “three crises, beef, pork and dairy combine” , he explained to the Paris .
Le price of a liter of milk collapsed in December tonne is paid 300 euros. A “global crisis related to the butter market, the milk powder at the end of quotas (in the EU) and contraction of the major markets” says Mr Le Foll.
As for the beef, the minister speaks of “a national problem, consumption evolving,” that makes the product purchase price drops, as for pork .
Read also: Discontent rises in the French pig farms
- Why are they protesting farmers again?
Selling their produce at a better price to get them out of the crisis: this is essentially what the farmers are demanding that manifest since June against low prices sale.
They accuse the other players in the industry (processing, distribution, etc.) have caused prices to the point of strangling their livelihoods. “The French breeders have more income. They are unable to adjust banking deadlines, “ was alarmed in June and Jean-Pierre Fleury, president of the Federation Nationale Bovine, originally a first wave of protests targeting in particular slaughterhouses. An agreement was reached on June 17 providing a framework of rising prices
Read also:. French cattle producers want to “be paid as German breeders”
- What was the agreement signed on 17 June? A he respected?
Only the retail and industrial in the beef industry had agreed to pay 5 cents more per carcass kilo purchased from 18 June and raise prices by the same amount every week until the purchase price to farmers covers production costs. According to the President of the Federation Nationale Bovine, the average purchase cost of the carcass is 3.70 euros per kilo for a production cost of 4.50 euros per kilo. The Agreement of 17 June had to help fill in a few weeks the existing differential.
A month later, the agreements were only very briefly implemented: substantial increases were performed on purchases of meat prices but they remain below the amounts under the agreement: the ox was revalued by 7 cents a kilo a month (against an increase of 5 cents a week in the Agreement), causing a new sling cattle farmers
.
Read also: Farmers-distributors: tough love
- How to defend distributors and industrial
- How reacts the government?
The actors of the retail assured Monday to their commitments. According to Jacques Creyssel, general delegate of the Federation of Trade and Distribution:
“We have increased as expected the price 5 cents every week. Simply, clearly, it does not back down. Why it does not go down? This operation is the transparency we are calling today requires that we’ve done affects the farmers. “
Several large retailers – whose stores have been the target of attacks and violence by farmers angry early July – ensured that the exasperation of farmers ” was not turned to the right people. ” Some retailers like Lidl France, who spoke through his purchasing manager Michel Biero, engage, they directly the responsibility of industry to whom the sign is provided.
“We’re paying 10 cents more on each of their product for two weeks, and ranchers will have received two. Industrialists are fat on our backs and it is on us that falls anger breeders while we have kept our commitments, “ he adds. Contacted by Le Monde , the National Association of Food Industries (ANIA), which represents the industrial sector, has not yet responded to our requests.
The government and Hollande have multiplied the signs showing they are aware of the problem. Friday, Stéphane Le Foll, minister of agriculture, was alarmed serious difficulties in the pig industry, while Saturday Francois Hollande called large retailers to improve the remuneration of breeders in the margins of a moving Lozere.
Since the signing of the agreement in June, the various stakeholders in the beef industry had accepted the principle of a mediation on the implementation of it. It will result in a first report whose findings will be made Wednesday, July 22 to 17 hours. For Mr Le Foll, it should allow “ know who played the game” from retailers and manufacturers.
Stéphane Le Foll also invited farmers to participate in a roundtable on Thursday a proposal that is not enough for breeders of Caen, who refused to lift their dams in Normandy Monday afternoon. “It remains our position, we want a field minister,” Jean-Yves claimed Heurtin, president of the FDSEA Cavados, adding:
” The Paris meetings that achieve nothing, it does not interest us. “
In the long term, the government calls on consumers and industry players to promote French products. “In the current crisis, everyone is responsible, the consumer at the local elected, which should favor French products in catering” explained M. Le Foll to the Paris .
Candau Adrien Philippe Euzen, Rescan Manon, Robert Williams-Urquhart.
No comments:
Post a Comment