In the middle of last week, dozens of town entrance signs disappeared, leaving some mayors of Deux-Sèvres perplexed. Some of them, like in Cherveux, had quickly placed at the foot of the mast freed from the sign, a sign reminding that the authorized speed was 50 km/h from said sign. But the day after this action, no demands.
This Tuesday, the agricultural union of young farmers of Deux-Sèvres officially claimed this action.
In a press release he said: » Young farmers want to make their voices heard and express their concerns in the face of an alarming agricultural situation. By symbolically removing the signs from our department, we wish to illustrate our dissatisfaction and our uncertainty about the future of our profession: “We no longer know where we are going! »
A trying year
“This year has been particularly trying for our operations,” continues the press release. “Not only has the harvest been small, but in some cases it is even non-existent. Climatic hazards, reinforced by environmental disruptions, have devastated our crops. Added to this are new health threats such as BFT (Bluetongue) and EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) which are endangering our livestock. These problems are not limited to our farms: they affect the entire food chain and call into question the safety of products intended for our fellow citizens. »
“In addition to health and climate challenges, our farms are experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis. Farmers' incomes are increasingly low and production costs are ever increasing, making it difficult to cover production costs and the investments necessary to ensure the sustainability of our farms. »
“Moreover, the Mercosur agreement, currently under negotiation, aggravates this already complex situation. This agreement plans to open our agricultural markets to countries with production standards and costs much lower than ours. By putting ourselves in direct competition with these producers, we would sacrifice our food sovereignty and the quality of food we want for our fellow citizens. We refuse to allow French agricultural know-how, as well as the quality of our products, to be compromised for reasons of unfair competitiveness. »
A nocturnal action
“Our message is clear: we will not remain silent in the face of this dramatic situation. We call on political leaders and civil society to be aware of the emergency. It is time to adopt concrete and immediate measures to support our agriculture, protect our food sovereignty and guarantee quality food for all. »
“The signs we removed are just the first step. We are determined to continue our actions and see it through to the end if the government does not provide us with the answers and support that our sector deserves. Time is running out: our future and that of French agriculture are at stake.”
The signs could reappear this mid-week, in Niort, during a nighttime action.
