Trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables from Spain were again at the center of a series of protests this Thursday. Farmers in France mobilized against the government with a wave of actions that disrupted parts of the Rhône Valley. Hundreds of agricultural vehicles, from tractors to pickup trucks, excavators, and lorries, blocked sections of the A7 motorway and the N7 road, leaving on-road piles of manure, straw, rubble, and tires.
As a result of the disruption, roughly fifteen truckloads of fruits and vegetables fell to the ground south of Montélimar, while a group of demonstrators in Nîmes set alight Spanish produce dumped on the roadway. The scenes underscored the intensity of the protest and its impact on supply chains.
Sylvie Meinier, a winemaker from the Drôme region and president of the FNSEA union, told BFMTV that the group had stopped foreign trucks with a notable courtesy. She explained that the trucks were opened and their contents emptied. Meinier expressed frustration at the need to import food that is already produced locally and noted that farmers were operating under extraordinary conditions.
Spain’s agricultural exports reached a record with 70 billion 185 million euros
Earlier on Wednesday, there were additional incidents involving non-French food shipments. In Brittany, footage showed a driver with French plates attempting to resist the farmers, who emptied the cargo after learning the truck carried Spanish ham. The situation drew strong objections from officials and industry representatives alike.
The Spanish agriculture minister responded by addressing the Congressional Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Committee to outline the broad priorities of his department. He affirmed his respect for the right to demonstrate and to express opinions freely while stressing that actions that involve violence or coercion undermine the freedom of movement within the market.
He added that while demonstrations are legitimate forms of expression, they must occur in a peaceful and lawful manner to avoid harming trade and logistics across borders. The events were described as a challenge to the smooth operation of European supply chains, and the minister called for restraint while reaffirming the importance of maintaining free movement of goods.
Complaints of those affected
The Spanish Confederation of Goods Transport CETM condemned the situation as ugly on social networks, and the association of mass consumption producers and distributors also criticized the disruptions. Aecoc urged the Spanish government to press French authorities to adopt emergency measures aimed at preventing incidents along the French border and other critical routes in the country.
Aecoc stressed that such actions risk driver safety and hinder the fluidity of commercial operations between France, Spain, and other European partners. CETM noted that protests are not limited to road blockades but can also obstruct access to logistics warehouses. They advised exporters and carriers to consider delaying planned trips, given the potential for heightened disruption around major shopping events like Black Friday on French roads.
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