President Hollande attacked at the Salon d'Agriculture

Poor old President Hollande he cannot seem to do anything right.  This week he visited the 'Salon d'Agriculture'.  Traditionally the Presidential visit has big symbolic implications showing support for the powerful farming lobby.  President Chirac was a master at wooing the farmers.  He spent hours comfortably shaking dirt encrusted hands, admiring the livestock and seemed completely at ease with this world away from the ornate Elysée Palace.  President Sarkozy was much less comfortable when his turn came.  His visits were rapid, and awkward photo-shoots with livestock did not help his already low popularity.
However President Hollande has managed to outdo his predecessor.  He was greeted by booing farmers, some of whom shouted out 'resign'.  He looked small, nervous and out of his element as his ministers and bodyguards tried to push through the angry crowds.  The farmers, like many in France today, are not happy.  The supermarket chains are using their monopoly power to reduce the price they pay for farm produce, and thereby squeezing farmers profit margins.  At the same time government taxes on employers remain high, as for every other sector in the French economy.  Farms, in this country so proud of its "terroir", are going out of business and some farmers have even committed suicide.  The government, and more particularly President Hollande, are being accused of doing nothing.
To be fair there is a law going through Parliament concerning pricing in supermarkets, but we do not know the details and nobody is convinced it will change things.  President Hollande has also promised to reduce government taxes on employers, but here again we lack details.  There is, however, another problem that governments, and not just in France, can do little about.  This is the problem of consumer demand, consumers want cheap food.  If French people really supported their farmers they would be prepared to pay that bit extra for good quality, local food.  In reality everybody wants a good deal and we do not really care if it comes from Spain and is sprayed with pesticides, as long as the price is right.  If government legislates to put food prices up they will commit political suicide.
What can poor old President Holland do?