Agricultural protests continue in France and much of the country remains affected. In Ile de France, also known as the Paris region, sections of the A1, A4, A5, A6, A10, A11, A13, and A15 motorways have been closed in both directions, as have some smaller roads.
Blockades and slow marches are also occurring in other major French cities, as well as road closures by local authorities. Meanwhile, the diversion of traffic to secondary roads may lead to congestion in the affected areas.
Blocking access to the Rungis wholesale market in Paris is still one of the main objectives, so the gendarmerie has maintained the deployment of armored vehicles on the A-6 near the market. Some supermarket distribution centers have been blocked, especially in Normandy.
As for airports, according to AFTIRE, Toulouse-Blagnac airport in southeastern France has already partially reopened.
Efforts to delay the fruit and vegetable harvests in Spain
In addition to anger over the ongoing actions in France that are hindering the free movement of goods, concern is growing within the FEPEX sector, as fruit and vegetable production-export areas cannot delay their scheduled harvests, and there are no viable alternatives to truck transport. Almeria, Valencia and Murcia are the most affected by this.
The lack of security in the transport of fruits and vegetables from production areas to EU destination markets is motivating attempts to delay scheduled harvests, but the time frame is very tight, as these are extremely perishable products. The operators who are deciding to harvest and ship their produce are already expecting delays in the delivery to destination markets and potential penalties from buyers, but not harvesting would result in the deterioration and loss of the product.
Besides, trucks are the dominant mode of transport for the marketing of fruits and vegetables, both for the domestic market and for export. 94.1% of the fruits and vegetables exported by Spain are transported by truck. The most exported products in January were peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and cabbages in the case of vegetables, and citrus and strawberries in the case of fruits.
Murcia is keeping around 40% of its vegetables in storage
Vegetable exporters in the Region of Murcia are keeping between 30 and 40% of their harvests in cold storage due to the road blockades in France, according to Manuel Zapata, president of Proexport. This blockade has resulted in delivery delays, which will translate into significant losses for companies shipping perishable fresh produce. Zapata estimates that only 60% of the harvested vegetables are reaching the border, while 40% remain in storage, mainly lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower.
The situation has also led to order cancellations, and transport vehicles have suffered damage from acts of vandalism. Zapata understands the situation of French producers, but is asking them not to cause damage to Spanish products in their protests. He expects financial compensation from the central Government, as company insurances may not cover the losses caused by these acts of vandalism.