French farmers are protesting over pesticides

French farmers rode hundreds of tractors into Paris today to protest restrictions on the use of pesticides and other environmental regulations, which they say threaten the country’s agricultural production.

Trade unions expect 2,000 farmers and 500 tractors from around Paris to participate in the protest, reports Reuters.

“The constant bans and passivity of the French government, which does not support many agricultural sectors, are destroying agriculture in the country,” said a joint statement by the largest Union of Farmers in France (FNSEA), the Union of Sugar Beet Producers (CGB) and the Association of Young Farmers (JA).

The statement added that the import of agricultural products from countries where there is no restriction on the use of pesticides would threaten jobs in France.

The protest comes after the decision of the European Court, according to which French sugar beet growers may not use the banned insecticide, which was previously allowed by a French court ruling.

Environmental activists claim that the use of pesticides in agriculture harms the environment.

Oil data shows increased prices

The International Energy Agency (IEA) wishes China to be “liable” for half of the increase in global demand this year, its head, Fatih Birol, stated, singling out a leap in demand for jet fuel.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter, raised oil prices for Asian buyers for the first time in six months due to an expected recovery in demand, particularly in China.

At the same time, markets are anxiously following the consequences of the terrible earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. According to the currently available data, more than 5,000 people are dead, and the number of victims could be much higher.

The earthquake also damaged the oil infrastructure, so the port terminal in Cheyhan, with a capacity of one million barrels per day, closed the export point for Azerbaijani oil.

A trade source said that Iraqi oil in port warehouses was ready for loading, but ships could not dock in Cheyhan due to bad weather. The Iraqi oil pipeline to Cheyhan is not operational, the Ministry of Energy of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced.