The Albany Gazette - French farmers wall off public buildings in protest over regulations

Around 100 farmers erected a cardboard wall in front of France's food safety agency ANSES, south of Paris, after placing breeze blocks barring the way into INRAE, the country's agricultural research institute in the capital.

This follows demonstrations on Tuesday against a planned free trade deal between the European Union and South America's Mercosur bloc, which France opposes over concerns it would hurt its domestic agricultural industry.

Farmers fear any agreement would open EU markets to cheaper meat and produce from South American competitors, who are not forced to adhere to strict EU rules on pesticides, hormones, land use and environmental measures.

Thursday's protesters -- led by the heavyweight FNSEA farmers' union -- say they are also feeling the sting of restrictions imposed by France's regulatory agencies on products like insecticides.

There are no "effective, alternative solutions", said Remi Pierrard, a beet and cereal grower in the town of Provins, who said he has seen "productivity losses of up to 50 percent each year".

"We've been banned from using an insecticide that protected beetroot. Now we have to use a sprayer, which is far less effective," Pierrard said.

The French government says that pesticides pose a danger "health and the environment", with exposure to the chemicals linked to cancer and Parkinson's disease.

Farmers say that institutions like INRAE could help them be more efficient but are instead foisting regulations on them that undermine production.

"We're funding a national institute that costs a billion euros a year but all it does is impose constraints on us," said the head of a young farmer's association, Donatien Moyson, referring to INRAE.

"We're here to fight against obstacles to agriculture," he added.

Elsewhere, farmers in the southern city of Nice dumped manure and sheep's wool in front of the regional prefecture, according to local press.

French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard condemned the protests as "attacks on people and property", telling AFP such actions "undermine the legitimate demands of farmers".

(A.Thompson--TAG)