French government calls for Christmas truce in farmer protests

PARIS, Dec 19 (Reuters) – The French government on Friday called for a Christmas truce with protesting farmers, warning against further blockades during the holiday season, a move the ‍country’s main union said depended on the prime minister’s response to their demands.

Farmers have been blocking roads, dumping manure and holding demonstrations in France for over a week to protest against the government’s management of cattle lumpy skin disease and a trade deal with the South American ‌bloc Mercosur.

Farmers gathered with tractors early on Friday ‌in front of President Emmanuel Macron’s residence in the seaside resort of Le Touquet in northern France, placing a coffin labelled “RIP Agri” and “NO Mercosur”.

Meanwhile, in the southern town of Avignon,  farmers threw potatoes at public ​buildings.

Protesters argue that the government’s policy of culling an entire herd when lumpy skin disease is detected is excessive and ‍cruel. They also claim the EU-Mercosur ​deal whose signing has been postponed to January would ​allow massive imports of products not meeting French standards.

Prime Minister Sebastien ‍Lecornu is holding meetings with the main farm unions. The head of the FNSEA, the country’s largest, said Lecornu committed to sending a letter by evening with answers to a range of agricultural issues.

“This letter will be decisive,” FNSEA Chairman Arnaud Rousseau ‍told reporters, adding that the union would then make a decision on whether to suspend the protests.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said on RTL ‍radio that the ‍government would no longer tolerate further blockades and ​would do “everything necessary” to avoid them.

Young Farmers union ​President ⁠Pierrick Horel said it would observe a Christmas ‌truce.

However, it was still unclear if unions Coordination rurale and the Confederation Paysanne, which have led the blockades, would call off protests.

Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard was due to travel to a farm near Paris later in the day.

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Gus Trompiz; Editing ⁠by Kirsten Donovan)