Economic sanctions against Russia are magnifying the problems of French livestock producers, who have higher production costs than other EU members and nowhere to sell their animals in Europe’s glutted meat market, says Politico. “Unless France reforms agriculture in depth, farmers, meat purchasers and analysts say some sectors – notable breeders – are set to go the way of coal mining and disappear.” One agribusiness official says pork, beef and dairy producers all face “a huge competitiveness challenge.” Agriculture Minister Stephane Le Foll says he will press other EU members at a Sept. 7 meeting to impose controls on prices and production to even out the difference between higher-priced French products and other countries.”
But the chances of France winning a major regulatory victory to control pricing and production across the bloc appear limited, because France is effectively the odd one out among producers of cheap meat,” says Politico. Other countries have been more aggressive in modernizing production and processing. French farmers pay higher taxes and often follow sanitary, environmental and labeling standards that are stricter than required by the EU. Catherine Laille, head of France’s pig breeders association, says the livestock sector is shrinking due to high costs of production. “If you drive around the French south, you don’t see any cows any more, or any pigs, or any animals raised for meat,” Laille told Politico.