French farmers protested against the EU-Mercosur trade deal, fearing intensified competition and unfair standards. With rural anger rising, protests may escalate as France's government faces mounting pressure to address agricultural concerns.
PARIS, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Farmers staged protests across France on Monday at the prospect of a trade deal between the European Union and South America's Mercosur bloc, which will further intensify competition for the French agriculture sector.
The EU and four Mercosur members - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay - are pushing to conclude long-running trade negotiations by the end of the year.
Monday's protests were the biggest since French farmers held weeks of large-scale demonstrations last winter over cheaper imports, burdensome regulations and meagre incomes.
The protests were mostly peaceful on Monday but tractors briefly blocked part of a highway near Paris in the morning, while others dumped manure in front of government buildings.
"We have the same demands as in January, nothing has changed," Armelle Fraiture said on her dairy farm north of Paris. "We must make the government understand that enough is enough."
This year French farmers have had to contend with rain-hit harvests, livestock disease outbreaks and a parliamentary election that delayed measures promised to defuse the previous protests.
A Mercosur deal would represent a bitter "cherry on the cake", Arnaud Rousseau, head of France's main farmers' union, the FNSEA, told BFM TV.
Tens of thousands of farms in France, the EU's biggest agricultural producer, were in financial trouble, he said.
French farmers fear a Mercosur accord will bring more beef, chicken, sugar and maize from Brazil and Argentina, countries they say use pesticides on crops and growth antibiotics in livestock that are outlawed in Europe.
Protests are planned to run into December, FNSEA said.
"There's a lot of anger out there," the head of Young Farmers group Pierrick Horel told RMC radio.
"Even if we don't approve the destruction of products, there comes a time when, unfortunately, it comes out, sometimes very strongly, very vehemently."
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday reiterated his opposition to a deal with Mercosur as proposed.
But with France lacking EU allies in the Mercosur talks, and rural grievances running deep, the authorities may struggle to placate the farmers.
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A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s Sagaing region, followed by a 6.4-magnitude tremor, killing more than 1,700 people and leaving 3,400 injured. The quake caused building collapses in Myanmar and Thailand, prompting emergency declarations and ongoing rescue efforts.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake has struck Myanmar, killing over 1,600 people. Rescue teams are racing to help, but damaged infrastructure and ongoing conflict are slowing efforts. Meanwhile, a collapsed skyscraper in Thailand has left many trapped.
Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Fitr today, marking the end of Ramadan with prayers, feasts, and charity. The two-day festival unites communities through traditions unique to each country.
South Korea, China, and Japan held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, aiming to strengthen regional trade cooperation amid growing concerns over U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump.
Rescue workers were seen rappelling into the rubble of a collapsed building in Bangkok on Sunday (March 30), as 47 people remained missing or trapped under the debris, including workers from Myanmar.
The Armenian armed forces attempted three reconnaissance drone flights over Azerbaijan Army positions near Gerenzur, but all were successfully intercepted. Meanwhile, Armenian units repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani positions from multiple regions, escalating tensions in the area.
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