French Government Gives Aid Package for Cattle Sector

FRANCE - The French government has stepped in to lend support to the French beef and dairy sector.
calendar icon 8 May 2015
clock icon 2 minute read

Following a meeting between the agriculture minister Stéphan Le Foll and the president of the National Cattle Federation, Jean-Pierre Fleury to discuss aid to the sector in difficult times.

The government is to postpone or even cancel some MSA social security contributions into health and welfare funds for the sector, including the beef sector and the government has already contributed €3.5 million into the fund.

The government is also going to make €2 million available as a relief fund.

These measures complement the other aid measures for farmers that are facing hard times including tax exemptions on undeveloped land.

The Minister has also called on the banks to step in to help farmers in difficulty by postponing or renegotiating loans.

The Minister also heard the concerns of National Cattle Federation FNB over quotations which do not reflect the market situation of the meat.

The Minister has now called on FranceAgriMer to conduct an emergency inspection to analyse the reasons for the discrepancies and take appropriate measures to remedy the situation.

The question of negotiating the Transatlantic Partnership Trade and Investment (TTIP) with the United States of America was also discussed. Stéphane Le Foll assured the FNB that the negotiations would not allow the French beef sector to be destabilised.

He said that all of the sector's products are now classified as sensitive products but he promised that France will pay great attention to quality cuts.

Stephane Le Foll said he would convene a round table with industry in the coming weeks to agree on a common strategy for exports as it had for the pig sector.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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