With a simple pressure of his foot, Régis Moriceau makes his boot disappear into the loose earth of his field. “See? If the ground doesn't support us, it's not even worth bringing a machine into it. » At the head of Gaec La Chemillière, in Pierrefitte, the Deux-Sévrien breeder knows what he is talking about. The last time a forage harvester entered his plot, on October 8, “we had to pull it out with a tractor”. Three weeks later, on October 29, the terrain remained impassable.
“Out of eighty-six hectares, we collected ten”
“Out of 86 hectares, we collected 10”reports Pierrefittois. In his hand, an ear of corn that has been ripe for more than ten days. Good for ensiling, but impossible to harvest. “The humidity level is around 70%”when it should not exceed 40%. With an accumulation of rain greater than 300 millimeters between September 15 and October 15, harvesting is proving difficult, even impossible, for the farmers of Deux-Sèvres.
Two years ago, we picked corn at the end of July due to the heatwave, and now we will have to do it at the beginning of November.
Régis Moriceau, breeder Pierrefitte
If the weather is an integral part of the profession, they find themselves confronted with the increasing frequency and intensity of climatic hazards. “Two years ago, we picked corn at the end of July due to the heatwave, and now we will have to do it at the beginning of November”summarizes Régis Moriceau. So much so that on many farms in Deux-Sèvres, the year 2024 is considered “catastrophic”.
Régis Moriceau remains hopeful of accessing his fields in early November. Otherwise, he will have to rent a box forage harvester, multiplying his collection cost by three.
© (Photo NR, Camille Montagnon)
This is evidenced by the results of the Cooperative for the Use of Agricultural Equipment (Cuma) of La Fontaine, with around thirty members: out of a total of 470,000 hectares of corn to be ensiled, only 150,000 were able to be ensiled as of October 29 , reports the secretary of FDSEA 79, Thierry Bernier. This breeder from Luché-Thouarsais risks being unable to sow for the second year in a row.
Planted late, in June 2024, its thirty-three hectares of corn have not yet reached maturity, thereby delaying the harvest and planting of fall seedlings. Enough to sadden the breeder, who has just imported 10,000 euros worth of straw in order to “replace the cereals that could not be harvested this summer”.
With their feet in the water, several corn crops were blown down by the winds in the north of the department, like here in Glénay.
© (Photo NR, Camille Montagnon)
To make matters worse, certain crops in Nord-Deux-Sèvres were laid to rest by the windy episodes of last September and October. Wishing to remain anonymous, a breeder from Gâtine deplores the loss of around ten hectares of corn, intended to feed his livestock. “I have to bring in the equivalent of a month and a half of feed, whereas usually I am independent. »
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This is, as a percentage, the drop in straw cereal production recorded in 2024 compared to the average of the previous five years, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Sick animals
Above all, several of its cattle are emaciated or infected by gastrointestinal worms, the occurrence of which is increasing with climate change, “especially rainy and humid summers”. Worried about the possible economic losses that could result, he applied two antiparasitics to his breeding, for a total cost of more than 8,000 euros.
Several farmers plan to mobilize in the coming weeks. On October 30, several village signs in Nord-Deux-Sèvres mysteriously disappeared, recalling the operation “We walk on our heads” orchestrated by the main agricultural unions, a year earlier, to solicit state support.
