October 27, 2010
Fuel blockage in France hurts feed supply
Besides seasonal crop farming activities, the collection of milk and delivery of the feed is becoming difficult and Farmers Union FNSEA has demanded that the government take action against the blockage of the supply fuel in the interest of the agricultural sector.
The blockage of fuel stations, distribution centres and refineries as a protest to the government decision to increase the pension age by two years (from 65 to 67) have been going on for two weeks now and are paralysing France.
In Brittany, the heart of French agriculture, manufacturers of animal feed are ringing the alarm bells. They fear for the supply of livestock feed.
"The lack of diesel is a hindrance to the general supply to farms, and key challenges for planting and other fieldwork, but especially for the animal feed supply," FNSEA said.
FNSEA urges the French government to take proper action to secure that regular farm work can continue.
It is not only that it is becoming difficult to supply farms with feed, also ships loaded with raw materials lay in waiting to enter the French ports. "The Ports of Montoire of Brittany, Nantes, Saint Nazaire, Lorient and Brest are blocked for several weeks. Vessels are waiting for a long time in the port and unload only sparsely," said Lawrence Morin, director of the Association of Feed Manufacturers (Afab).
"We import a lot of soymeal and grain, including feed wheat in northern Europe," said Morin.
The lack of fuel also threatens food and feed processing plants with closure, especially in western France, the National Association of Food Industries (Ania) said in a statement, requesting that the sector gets priority in access to fuel.
"The area of western France, a major food-processing region in the country (over 130,000 jobs), is the most impacted by the supply problems," Ania said.