The French government will ease restrictions on grain transport on the river Seine during this year’s Olympics. French Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, has announced a reduction in the duration of transport stoppages on the Seine from ten to six and a half days, ahead of the Olympic Games.
The Seine will be closed to all navigation in the Paris region from July 20 to 26 for the opening ceremony preparations.
Initially there were fears of a closure for the entire period of the Olympics, which would have cost the sector millions of euros.
Although there would be disruptions, the recent decision taken will limit the risk of loss, and the authorities will assess the financial impact on the grain sector from the river restrictions.
This closure, initially set for ten days, was reduced to seven days in the course of discussions with professionals.
As it is reported by various local media, “for a month and a half, there would be disruptions” for grain transport, in the middle of the harvest period. “We hope that with the measures we take, we limit the risk of loss as much as possible,” officials say.
“The measures are interesting, are positive,” commented Jean François Loiseau, president d’Intercéréales, during the conference, calling on state services to continue the work to “improve a few points, particularly during shutdowns.”
