The farmers of Reunion Island are mobilizing. They are tired of waiting for aid from the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union) to be paid. This Friday, June 14, in the morning, they padlocked access to the DAAF premises in Saint-Pierre.
Annaëlle Dorressamy / Jacques Payet
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Published on June 14, 2024 at 1:03 p.m.,
updated June 14, 2024 at 1:05 p.m.
In the South, this Friday morning, traffic was disrupted towards the DAAF (Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forestry) of Saint-Pierre.
The CGPER (General Confederation of Planters and Breeders of Réunion) is blocking access to the structure due to the delay in payment of all PAC 2023 aid.
Watch the report from Réunion La 1ère:
Payment of CAP aid: farmers, tired of waiting, padlock the DAAF premises in Saint-Pierre
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©Reunion the 1st
Following farmers’ demonstrations at the start of the year, the State committed to telepaying aid before March 15, but this commitment was not kept.
According to the director of the DAAF, a software update is delaying the electronic payment of aid. This excuse is unacceptable for Jean Michel Moutama, president of the CGPER.
I would like to point out that this aid is used to support us on the farms. Today, this aid makes up 25 to 30% of our income. This endangers many small farms in Reunion.
Jean-Michel Moutama, CGPER forecaster
More than 1,000 farmers out of the 1,100 participants have still not received payment for this aid. This delay penalizes farms, particularly those engaged in the ecological transition.
Jean-Christophe, like many other farmers, has invested in respecting the environment. “Today, it’s more of a constraint than a good action”he laments.
The CGPER demands payment of this aid as quickly as possible. Many farmers are experiencing financial difficulties.
We signed an agreement with the State. Now, it is up to the State to do its part. We suffered from cyclone Belal. The agricultural world is in the midst of a crisis. I have never seen so many farmers with financial problems. They were partly waiting for this help to replenish their accounts.
Axel Hoareau, secretary of the CGPER
The DAAF, for its part, says it is powerless. She does not master this software locally, but she claims to be able to pay the aid to farmers within ten days.
