While farmers’ demonstrations are increasing in France, the president of the National Federation of Fruit Producers denounces “many promises and not many actions.”
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“Let’s give ourselves back flexibility in pesticides and in the possibility of storing water”, asks, on franceinfo Saturday January 20, Françoise Roch, president of the National Federation of Fruit Producers and arborist in Moissac, in Tarn-et-Garonne.
Demonstrations and actions by angry farmers have increased in France and the rest of Europe in recent weeks. The A64 motorway is still blocked south of Toulouse late Saturday afternoon.
Françoise Roch denounces “lots of promises and not many actions” from recent governments. “We have been trying to explain for years that we are putting the cart before the horse, that France has disengaged from research” to replace phytosanitary products, deplores the farmer.
“I can barely get by 1,000 euros a month and it’s been going on for years,” testifies Françoise Roch who does not plan to pass on her farm to her children. “We cannot indefinitely demand more and more constraints from increasingly poor producers,” estimates the trade unionist adding that France has lost 40% of its orchards in 20 years.
