Farmers' blockade threatens shops

FARMERS plan to block over half the supply lines to supermarkets from today.

They say supermarkets are responsible for a drop in their earnings.

The blockade is likely to have an affect on weekend shopping.

Already milk producers in the west of France have begun blockading supermarkets.

The Jeunes Agriculteurs (young farmers) say they want to shed light on the practice of supermarkets squeezing farmers’ income while maintaining prices and their own profits.

While milk producers called off a recent strike after negotiations on a minimum price, farmers are still unhappy at the situation.

“What profession would accept to work without knowing in advance what price they can sell their product and even if they can make a profit?” farmer Emmanuel Eustace, a member of the FDSEA union told Le Figaro newspaper.

Directors at Intermarché say they are being unfairly penalised and have warned managers not to intervene to open up supermarkets by force.

The FNSEA farmers union has also warned against violence during the demonstrations