The building of a shed for packing vegetables in Saint-Pol-de-Léon is causing problems in the north of the department Finistère in Brittany. At the end of November building of the 7HA shed for Sica, the most important producers organisation of vegetables in France, which combines 1500 vegetable growers and produces annually 300,000 tons of vegetables, was stopped by the administrative judge because of a conflict with the coastal defence law. In March a new session in court may possibly take place.
Up to then supporters make an effort to obtain legal permission. Threats, intimidations and political determination increase. For the supporters the building is of economic importance. For the opponents it is an illegal construction and is contrary to town and country planning. Last month agriculturists prevented a theatrical evening with Bob Simon, a comedy artist and the chairman of the society protecting Kermorus-Vilardrenn. This is a monumental estate, which is next to the field in which the shed of Sica is to be built. Everywhere in the department white painted nooses on black tarpaulins appeared along the roads with the wording:
'Merci Bob'. Jestin, the owner of the historic estate, saw slogans everywhere, calling him a 'grave digger of agriculture', as far away as Pouldouran, a small municipality in Côtes-d’Armor of which he is the mayor.
Pierre Bihan-Boudec, director of Sica, says that there is talk of a threat to the income of their company. "If this situation does not develop positively then that will be the death-blow for the vegetable sector in Finistère”, general secretary
Jean-François Jacob says.
Representative of the UMP, Jacques LeGuen, defends the general interest against the defence of a few private interests. The representative of the Socialist Party,
Representative of the UMP, Jacques LeGuen, defends the general interest against the defence of a few private interests. The representative of the Socialist Party,
Marylise Lebranchu, is of the opinion that the file should never have grown to the present size. The mayor of Saint-Pol-de-Léon, Nicolas Floch, defends the economic interests of the plan, but is of the opinion, that the attacks on the opponents are inadmissible.