French farmers enter Paris with hundreds of tractors to protest

Hundreds of farmers in France entered Paris with tractors to protest against the government´s decision to ban pesticides 

Farmers in France entered Paris today with hundreds of tractors on Wednesday, February 8, to protest against restrictions imposed on the use of pesticides, along with other environmental restrictions.  

The protest has been organised after the farmers claim that the restriction threatens their production, after a court in the European Union banned the use of insecticide used by sugar beet growers.

“These repeated bans and the inaction of the government to support many sectors (cherries, apples, chicory, potato starch, etc.) condemn agricultural production,” said a joint statement by France’s largest farm union FNSEA, sugar beet union CGB and young farmers group, as per Reuters.  

Following the restriction, farmers raised concerns over the further decline in plantations of sugar beet and the closure of sugar factories.  

The farmers also warned that crops imported, which are not subjected to the same pesticide restrictions, could threaten jobs in France.  

Tractors entered the French capital with some carrying banners that said, “Macron is liquidating agriculture” and “save your farmer”.  

As per a statement by the CGB union, over 500 tractors along with 2,000 farmers were expected to reach Paris to join the protest.  

But “it was too early to confirm the numbers”, said a CGB spokesperson.  

The farmer unions also plan to meet French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau to discuss the matter.

According to environmentalists, the use of pesticides results in creating residues that damage the soil and affect wildlife.  

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