P.M. BRIEFING : France Meets Farmer Demands
The French government gave in to demands by rioting farmers today and offered livestock producers $230 million to help offset losses from drought and a sharp drop in beef and lamb prices.
Agriculture Minister Henri Nallet unveiled the aid package two days after 200,000 farmers staged a nationwide protest that drew tear gas and baton charges from riot police, snarled traffic and injured several people.
“This is a serious crisis,” Nallet said at a news conference at the Agriculture Ministry, which was ringed by police. “The aid must be substantial in order to be fair and swift.”
Virtually the entire aid package will be reserved for livestock producers in the hardest-hit regions, Nallet said. Decisions on who will receive aid--and how much--will be made after negotiations between the government and farm groups, ministry officials said.
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