The stand of the dairy giant Lactalis, where slurry had already been dumped on Saturday, was invaded on Tuesday by members of the Peasant Confederation denouncing milk prices that were too low.
A few dozen demonstrators, and a black Breton cow carrying a flag in the colors of the agricultural union on its back, arrived at the stand around 12:20 p.m., deploying banners and sticking stickers in front of a swarm of cameras and under the eye of security guards.
Lactalis
“offers 420 euros per ton of milk when the real cost of production is 440. And to pay the breeders, you need 500 euros
,” said the spokesperson for the Peasant Confederation, Laurence Marandola, on the stand.
“Lactalis has been making margins for months, years.
“It’s the world’s leading dairy group and it doesn’t trickle down to farmers
,” she denounced.
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.”
Also readConflict between Lactalis and milk producers: why so much hatred?
“For remunerative prices”
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...).
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.
The demonstrators left the stand shortly after 1 p.m., saying they would
“maybe”
come back and leaving behind walls covered with stickers.
“We didn't change the world but we tried
,” said one of them as they left.
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.