French farmers may stage more protests in coming weeks, union boss says

Farmers across Europe have been protesting for weeks over what they say are excessively restrictive environmental rules, competition from cheap imports from outside the European Union, plus rising costs and low incomes.

Read moreWhy French farmers are up in arms: fuel hikes, green regulation, EU directives

Union boss Arnaud Rousseau was speaking to BFM TV on the last day of the Paris agricultural fair and ahead of a meeting between President Emmanuel Macron, farmers' union representatives and other stakeholders at the Elysee palace in mid-March.

"To expect that in 15 days it will all be over is a mistake. Farmers need something concrete ... There could be a number of actions to make sure things happen in coming days," Rousseau said, without providing further details.

"The embers are hot, this is not over ... some regions are planning to keep up the protests," he said.

On Feb. 24, a group of French farmers stormed into the Paris agricultural show ahead of a visit by Macron, disrupting the start of the fair.

Farm Minister Marc Fesneau, responding to Rousseau on BFM on Sunday, said: "We need to keep up the work ... it is up to us to lift doubts."

French farmers last month had largely suspended protests after Prime Minister Gabriel Attal promised new measures worth 400 million euros ($433.48 million).

But some protests have resumed to pile pressure on the government to provide more help to farmers and deliver on promises.

(Reuters)