French President Emmanuel Macron, right, visits the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
PARIS (AP) - With boos and whistles, French farmers gave President Emmanuel Macron a piece of their mind at a major agriculture event where he was trying to promote his policies.
Macron was supposed to visit the Paris Agriculture Fair all day Saturday - a key moment to address French farmers' concerns.
He had a tense exchange with cereal producers loudly protesting his government's proposal to ban a pesticide called glyphosate by 2020. Macron, visibly irritated, promised to find "solutions" to replace glyphosate, which is thought to be carcinogenic.
Many farmers are also angry about trade talks with South American countries that could make France import more foreign meat.
Macron said his policies aim to invest more to raise French food and farming standards and to help farmers facing foreign competition.
An unidentified woman protests at French President Emmanuel Macron and French Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert, left, as they visit the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands as he visits the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and French Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert, 2nd right, meet with beef sector representatives as they visit the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, meets with beef sector representatives as he visits the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, visits the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
An unidentified woman protests at French President Emmanuel Macron and French Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert, left, as they visit the 55th International Agriculture Fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018. The fair, featuring farm animals, food and agriculture industry, will last until March 4, 2018. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press