Breton farmers, dislodged, calling Manuel Valls – Le Figaro

VIDEO – Angry and worried, farmers blocked the Rennes-Brest axis to draw attention to the crisis affecting the entire sector. Dislodged peacefully this morning, they ask the government action.

“Valls, you love us? Come tell us here and now! “Could be read on the dozens of posters plastered on tractors and vehicles of the demonstrators. Gathered at the call of the Departmental Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FDSEA) and Young Farmers (JA), dozens of Breton farmers blocked since Wednesday afternoon the highway Brest-Rennes, near St Brieuc. Angry, they threatened to stay put “several days” pending the visit of Prime Minister, Manuel Valls. “We met last year, but nothing has changed,” lamented to AFP Didier Lucas, president of the FDSEA of Cotes d’Armor.

For this show of force on the Nationale 12 between Saint-Brieuc Yffiniac and a busy road, a real base camp was installed, with podium, tent and barbecue. Farmers have even appointed officials to ensure the permanence of this rotating camps until minimum Saturday. The demonstrators were dislodged Thursday morning, in calm and without violence by the security forces.

“The movement will move, we will not let go, Thierry Le Figaro launches Coue, president of the FRSEA Brittany. The movement will spread to the entire Kingdom. ” For breeders, the challenge is great: to attract the attention of the government in a crisis that never ends and in which thousands of jobs are in danger. “We expect the state to do its job, and that economic actors sit around the table, explains Thierry Coue. We do not want to be the only victim of the price war “.

Many farmers bankrupt

The breeders take for months the alarm because of course too down below cost of production, which the pig, milk and beef are purchased by industrial processing. Many bankrupt farmers are forced to put the key under the door and specialists consider that on average, a farm generates seven jobs (including those upstream and downstream of the farm). Hence the risk of cascading job losses when farmers throw in the towel. Stéphane Le Foll announced last summer the figure of 25,000 farmers in a difficult financial situation, including 300 in liquidation.

The labeling indicating the origin of meat

“The Breton ore is breeding. North Ore, it was coal and today these mines have become museums. Are we condemned to disappear is like that too “asks Jean-Michel Juhel, pork producer. While the government says they can not do more to help French producers because of European rules, unions ask: “Spain supports its farmers, why not France? Germany protects its markets, why not France? “. Herders are demanding, especially for pork, labeled with the origin of the meat used in processed products which are mainly made from pork import, and which is mentioned only in accordance with the law “turned into France “. “We are not the only ones moving, the German producers also begin to move,” notes Thierry Coue.

The unions also want to get the commitment of distributors and industrial for the annual trade negotiations During “are performed in compliance with the work of farmers from all productions: respect for a fair price to the producer, respect for quality original France ‘, with transparency on the distribution of profit margins throughout the industry” . Among the breeders present, many wear a pink cap fuschia, rallying the new independent group “Save French breeding” (SEF), whose existence was made official a few days ago. SEF “leaves to each of its members the choice to be determined” in relation to this blockage, told AFP Olivier Etienne, one of the spokespersons of the collective.