Pierre Vidal, representative of the Young Farmers for the Gard Rhone section, shares with us his feelings about the critical situation faced by farmers, and more particularly wine growers, in the region. While the mobilizations have resumed, the demands remain numerous and pressing.
“We are suffering from the climatic hazards that follow one another, our cash flow is reduced to nothing and far too many things have not changed since the mobilization last January,” laments Pierre Vidal. The observation is clear: farmers must deal with increasingly extreme and unpredictable climatic conditions, a factor which endangers not only their crops, but also their financial future.
However, climatic hazards are only part of the problem. Pierre Vidal also points to the lack of long-term support. “We need long-term help, we just want to make a living from our job,” he insists. In his eyes, one-off aid is no longer enough to deal with the numerous difficulties that are accumulating. The agricultural system as it is today no longer allows farmers to work peacefully.
Clear demands:
Among the main demands of the Young Farmers of Gard Rhone, we find a request for reduction in taxes and standards. “We need reductions in taxes and standards, to allow us to produce and provide us with the necessary products, particularly when we are prohibited from using phytosanitary products,” explains Pierre Vidal. For wine growers, the ban on certain phytosanitary products without a viable alternative complicates the situation even more.
Another major problem: the importation of foreign products. “We must stop importing foreign products that we can produce in France,” says Pierre Vidal indignantly. Farmers are calling for better regulation of imports in order to protect local production and support the national agricultural economy.
A mobilization in two stages:
Faced with this situation, the mobilization of farmers has been relaunched with symbolic actions. The first stage saw the tarpaulin of town entry and exit signs, with each tarpaulin indicating the number of farmers remaining in each commune. A visual way of recalling the erosion of the number of agricultural workers in the region.
The second stage of this mobilization takes place this week with the removal of city exit signs. A strong gesture intended to mark the spirits and underline the fed up of farmers, who feel more and more isolated and abandoned by the public authorities.
Structural problems to be resolved:
Beyond these actions, farmers’ demands revolve around several concrete issues.
The first concerns cash flow. “Little wine sales lead to a drop in prices. With the increase in costs, in particular that of the prices of phytosanitary products, and a sharply reduced harvest for 2024, we are expecting a very difficult year,” warns Pierre Vidal. For him, it is urgent to put in place real financial support commensurate with the difficulties encountered, compared to other crops which benefit from better support via the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy).
The issue of crop insurance and the ISN (National Security Index) system is also a point of friction. According to Vidal, “the Olympic average of 5 years is no longer suitable, we suffer one or more climatic accidents per year”. He believes that this method distorts production averages and does not reflect the reality of current conditions. Likewise, the agricultural disaster regime for vines, with ridiculous compensation of €200 to €300 per hectare, is considered insufficient.
Regarding the uprooting of vines, the €4,000 per hectare proposed is considered derisory, especially when we know that the real cost of uprooting exceeds €2,000. “If these €4,000 are taxed, there will be nothing left,” laments Pierre Vidal, who is calling for a review of this aid so that it is truly effective.
Taxation is also a crucial issue for farmers. “It must encourage the sale of farms,” explains Vidal. The complexity and burden of fees and inheritance taxes weigh heavily on business transfers. In addition, current taxation does not take into account significant fluctuations in agricultural income, which often vary from one year to another depending on circumstances.
Finally, Pierre Vidal calls on the government to quickly resume work on the Agricultural Orientation Law (LOA). “No bans without solutions,” he insists. In particular, he calls for the establishment of floor prices and administrative simplification which would allow young farmers to set up more easily.
A call to action:
In conclusion, Pierre Vidal and the Young Farmers of Gard Rhone ask for nothing more than to be able to continue to live with dignity from their profession. The current mobilization is only a new stage in a long-term fight for the survival of local agriculture. Farmers now hope that their demands will finally be heard and that lasting solutions will be put in place to ensure the future of their profession. “We just want to make a living from our job,” concludes Pierre Vidal, resolutely determined.
