The latest protest against a fall in food prices caused French farmers to block roads from Germany and Spain on Sunday to halt foreign products entering the country.
The north-eastern region of Alsace saw farmers using tractors to block six routes from Germany in a move to obstruct trucks crossing the Rhine carrying agricultural goods, in a blockage that is expected to last until at least Monday afternoon.
A dozen trucks have been compelled to turn away at the border since the blockage began at about 10pm local time on Sunday night, according to an FDSEA (National Federation of Agricultural Holders' Unions) union official.
Near the Spanish border, approximately 100 farmers pillaged dozens of trucks from Spain on a highway in the south-western Haute-Garonne region, threatening to unload any produce intended for the French market.
France has been gripped by a week of farmers blocking cities, roads and heavily congested tourist sites in protest at falling food prices that has bought them to the brink of bankruptcy, which they blame on foreign competition.
Farmers have emptied manure in cities, blocked access roads and motorways and burdened tourists from reaching Mont St-Michel in northern France, one of the country’s most frequented sites.
Hesitant of France’s influential agricultural lobby, the government on Wednesday unveiled an emergency package worth €600m (£420m) in tax relief and loan guarantees, but the aid has done little to stop the crisis.
