France to fight to keep protection for farmers

France, Europe"e;s top food producer, will argue for policies that protect farmers from price volatility when the bloc reviews its farm policy later this year, its farm minister said on Friday.

One week before EU farm ministers gather in Annecy, Michel Barnier said he would ask to give countries the right to shift aid from wealthy sectors to suffering ones and called for tools to support sustainable farming.

Around 20 member states out of 27 agreed with France"e;s willingness to ensure that the proposals put forward by the European Commission in its so-called "health check" of the EU"e;s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) would give farmers enough protection against weather and sanitary problems, he said.

"Food is not like any other product -- we are not speaking about cars or computers," he told Reuters in an interview.