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French PM urges European Commission to do more to end farming crisis

Xinhua, February 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Monday urged the European Commission to take swift and concrete moves to help the struggling agriculture sector in France.

Amid growing anger of domestic farmers who used to blockade key routes mainly in northern France, Valls accused the commission of doing "too little, too late" to rescue farmers who protested low meat prices and poor financial assets.

"Everyone has to assume responsibility to find national solutions, but also European ones to this crisis which hits hard and for several months," Valls said, calling on the Commission to take the adequate measures in "period of crisis."

The French leader added France, Europe's main farm products producer, had proposed several measures to the European Commission, including those of market regulation, in preparation for the upcoming meeting of European agriculture ministers.

Last month, the French government announced new financial aid worth 290 million euros (324.04 million U.S. dollars) to the country's suffering cattle, pork farmers and poultry producers.

It has already earmarked 600 million euros for domestic livestock farmers who protested low meat prices. Enditem