Since the Lactalis group announced its decision to reduce the collection of organic milk, many breeders in the Loire" rel="tag">Pays de la Loire region have found themselves in great difficulty. Among them, farmers from Vendée, who now fear for the survival of their farms, like Dirk Geysen, an organic producer based in Saint-Étienne-du-Bois.
A brutal decision for producers
According to France Bleu, the news broke almost a month ago. Dirk Geysen, who raises 70 organic dairy cows with his wife Hedwig, learned by telephone that Lactalis will no longer collect his milk within two years. For him, this deadline seems short: “Two years is not a lot after all, because we have to continue to manage the farm. And there is no guarantee that we will find a new collector by then. » At issue: a saturated market, with competition that weighs heavily on the organic milk sector, making the search for new partners particularly difficult.
An uncertain future for organic farming
For Dirk and Hedwig, the uncertainty is heavy. If no buyer comes forward, they will even consider giving up on organic production, for lack of an alternative. “It’s hard to digest, we’re disappointed,” confides Hedwig. “Our choice to go organic was a commitment from the heart, but today, anger is taking over. We don't really know where to turn. »
Abandoning the organic sector would be a bitter decision for them, but perhaps necessary to hope to maintain a collection contract. However, this situation does not only concern their exploitation: the termination of contracts today affects nearly 120 breeders in the south of Pays de la Loire.
A regional crisis and uncertain alternatives
In addition to Vendée, producers in Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire and Deux-Sèvres are also affected by this decision by Lactalis. Brice Guyau, president of the FDSEA of Vendée, underlines the brutal impact of this rupture: “From one day to the next, some find themselves dropped like simple rags. And it hurts my heart. » This decision aggravates an already complicated agricultural situation, among other things due to recent climatic conditions which penalize harvests and other production sectors.
Faced with this crisis, companies like Terrena and LSDH have expressed their interest in taking over some of the contracts abandoned by Lactalis. It remains to be seen whether the recovery arrangements will meet the needs of each breeder, and in what time frame these solutions can be put in place. For now, many remain in limbo, hanging on to the search for partners who could offer them long-term production stability.
