A protest by French farmers angered by falling revenues severely disrupted traffic along the highway between the southern city of Perpignan and Spain on Saturday, one of the busiest days for holidaymakers returning home, the authorities said.
The farmers complain that big supermarket chains are underpaying them for their produce and then overcharging consumers in order to drive up profit margins. They also say imports from cheaper countries such as Morocco are undercutting their business.
Several hundred farmers from the region - 500 according to organisers, 300 according to police - dumped tonnes of peaches, tomatoes and cucumbers near the A9 highway toll along the border before setting up checkpoints to slow down traffic, Michel Guallar, a spokesman for the local chapter of farmers' union FDSEA, said.
The farmers also dumped fruit and vegetables in front of two local supermarkets.
Guallar said 80 tractors and numerous cars had taken part in the protest, while police said there had been about 30 tractors and several dozen cars.
Traffic was also backed up in the other direction, heading to Perpignan.
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