A few dozen demonstrators and a black Breton cow, carrying on its back a flag in the colors of the Agricultural Confederation, landed on the Lactalis stand at the Agricultural Show this Tuesday around 12:20 p.m.
They displayed banners and stuck stickers in front of a swarm of cameras and under the watchful eye of security guards to denounce milk prices that were too low.
AGRICULTURE SHOW: Action by farmers from the Confédération paysanne at the Lactalis stand.
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Lactalis “offers 420 euros per tonne of milk when the real cost of production is 440. To be able to pay the breeders, you need 500 euros”, launched the spokesperson for the Peasant Confederation, Laurence Marandola, on the stand .
According to her, “Lactalis has been making margins for months, years.
It’s the world’s leading dairy group and that doesn’t trickle down to farmers.”
“We have things to say and we will stay there”
Pressed by a security guard to leave, she said: “I’m not going to touch your stand but we have things to say and we’re going to stay there.”
Lactalis, warned of a possible action, had stopped the activities on its stand around 11:30 a.m.
“We receive a lot of families and children,” said a spokesperson.
Security guards were positioned when the demonstrators arrived but failed to prevent them from entering, giving rise to a brief scuffle when they tried to display a banner “For remunerative prices” on the stand promoting the group's brands (President, Company, Lactel, Bridélice, etc.).
The company, which has not reacted formally, recalls that mediation is underway with the producers and emphasizes that dairy products are also sold for export, complicating the equation for the remuneration of French breeders.
Protesters left the stand shortly after 1 p.m., saying they would “maybe” come back and leaving behind walls lined with stickers.
Lactalis was already targeted last week by several actions by farmers denouncing its commercial practices, with some 200 demonstrators from the Confédération Paysanne having notably entered the group's headquarters in Laval on Wednesday.
On Saturday, farmers dumped slurry on the show stand.