Protesting farmers heap pressure on new French prime minister ahead of hotly anticipated measures

Protesting farmers have shut down stretches of major French highways again, using their tractors to block and slow traffic to press their demands that growing and rearing food should be made easier and more lucrative

PARIS -- Protesting farmers shut down long stretches of some of France's major highways again on Friday, using their tractors to block and slow traffic and squeeze the government ever more tightly to cede to their demands that growing and rearing food should be made easier and more lucrative.

Their spreading movement for better renumeration for their produce, less red tape and lower costs, and protection against cheap imports is increasingly becoming a major crisis for the government, with echoes of the 2018-2019 yellow vest demonstrations against economic injustice that rocked the first term of President Emmanuel Macron and lastingly dented his popularity.

This time, Macron's new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, his mettle being sorely tested just two weeks into the job, is hoping to nip the demonstrations in the bud with measures expected to be announced later Friday.

Ranged against him is the well-organized and media-savvy movement by determined farmers. Using their tractors and, sometimes, also straw bales as barriers, they've been blocking and slowing traffic on major roads.

Highway operator Vinci Autoroutes said that two motorways that are usually busy thoroughfares for road traffic through southern France and into Spain, the A7 and A9, were closed Friday morning by farmers' blockades for long stretches together totaling nearly 400 kilometers (250 miles). Blockades also severed a dozen other motorways, Vinci said.