Reminder of concrete measures and significant financial support for farmers – November 2024 – Press releases 2024 – Press releases – News

On the eve of the agricultural events planned from November 18, Étienne GUYOT, prefect of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, prefect of Gironde, would like to recall the main measures taken by the Government or currently being adopted in response to the expectations of farmers agricultural.

1. An acceleration of government measures over the last 55 days in response to the agricultural crisis: tax relief, cash flow support, administrative simplification

A series of measures allowing tax and social relief to the tune of 300 million euros have been implemented, in particular the abandonment of the increase in taxation on non-road agricultural diesel, the perpetuation of the TO-DE system relating to workers seasonal or even the increase in property tax reductions on undeveloped properties.

To compensate for poor harvests and meet cash flow needs, exceptional subsidized 2-year cash flow loans with a rate of 1.75% (reduced to 1.5% for young farmers) are put in place. Likewise, on structural aid: long-term loans (12 years) covered up to 70% by the State and up to 200,000 euros per loan will come into force at the beginning of 2025.

The Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA) covered contributions of 50 million euros this year, compared to the usual 30 million euros.

In order to reduce administrative complexity and reduce management time for farmers, the adoption of simplification measures will continue beyond those which have already been adopted (extension of the fallow exemption and evolution of cross-compliance on permanent meadows, legal obligations for clearing, cleaning of ditches, etc.). The Government has just adapted several CAP measures to take into account this year's climatic conditions (BACE1,6,7 and 9). Finally, the single administrative control in agriculture has just been put in place.

2. Large-scale measures to deal with animal health crises

In response to bluetongue (BHF), epizootic hemorrhagic disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza, the State has implemented various measures. The exceptional emergency fund for compensation for direct losses caused by FCO3 was supplemented and extended to direct sheep losses due to FCO8 for an amount of 75 million euros. The first payments will take place at the end of the year.

All sheep and cattle are now eligible, throughout France, for free vaccination against FCO3, and additional orders for the 12 million doses, or 2 million doses of vaccine, have been placed.

Additional intervention from the National Agricultural Fund for Pooling Health and Environmental Risk (FMSE) was also decided in response to excess bovine mortality due to FCO8. The compensation window will be open at the beginning of 2025.

In New Aquitaine, in response to epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) affecting ruminants, the various compensation schemes concerned 3,351 cases for nearly 25 million euros paid.

In order to limit the risks linked to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the State has undertaken to cover up to 70% of the costs of compulsory vaccination which amount in total to 100 million euros, until the end of 2024. This prevention action supported by the public authorities has made it possible to vaccinate 23 million ducks in New Aquitaine in 2023/2024 in order to limit losses. In total, on a national level, to mitigate health measures and their economic consequences, the State has covered compensation to the tune of 1 billion euros over the last 3 years for the poultry industry.

Finally, in January 2025, the animal health conference will be launched in order to better anticipate health crises and their impact on agriculture in response to the difficulties of breeders.

3. Sectoral and structural measures in response to the consequences of the climate, health and economic crises

Under the emergency fund, of the 270 million euros paid to farmers nationally, these are:
– more than 31 million euros in New Aquitaine (1,525 files) to support farmers in organic farming
– 18 million euros in emergency aid for viticulture following the examination of 2,542 files.

The crisis in the agricultural sector is exacerbated by climate change. In response to the problem of water management, the Government has supplemented an agricultural hydraulic fund with 20 million euros to subsidize 48 national water storage projects. New Aquitaine benefits from 31% of the national envelope, or 6.3 million euros. The Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forestry New Aquitaine (DRAAF) will notify project leaders in the coming days.
In terms of sectoral aid, at the national level, the wine sector has received 120 million euros to encourage the permanent uprooting of vines. It will complete in Gironde, the Gironde sanitary uprooting plan financed by the profession and by the State which benefited from a budget of 38 million euros.

Furthermore, particularly affected, the Gironde wine sector will be able to benefit from subsidized wine loans at 2.5% guaranteed by the State in order to preserve cash flow by staggering payments. The banking networks of Crédit Agricole and Banque Populaire-Caisse d'Epargne are authorized to issue these loans. Loan requests will be processed by banks in conjunction with the Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea and subsidized wine loans will be granted until July 1, 2025.

To these crisis measures, we should also add the payment of CAP aid advances.

Common agricultural policy for a total amount paid, at this stage, on the 1st pillar of 700 million euros in New Aquitaine.

Prefect Étienne GUYOT will receive agricultural delegations who wish to continue discussions and will report the content of the discussions to the Government. He recalls that the draft orientation law for sovereignty in food and agricultural matters and the renewal of generations in agriculture will be examined in the Senate from mid-December.

All measures in favor of agriculture can be consulted on: https://agriculture.gouv.fr/