BRUSSELS — The trade accord that the European Union wants to strike with the Mercosur bloc of South American nations would be “disastrous” for French farmers, Prime Minister Michel Barnier said in Brussels on Wednesday, saying it should not be passed against his country’s will.

Politico reports that the EU agreement with South American countries could be signed later this year. FNSEA, one of the main agricultural organisations in France,

European farmers protested in Brussels on Wednesday against the EU-Mercosur free trade deal with South American countries, with farmers in neighbouring France saying they would follow suit from early next week.

French farmers have protested against a trade deal that would increase agricultural imports from South America, saying it hurt their livelihoods

A machine plants soybeans on a farm in a rural area of Sidrolandia, Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil, Oct. 22, 2022.