The rural coordination of the Ardennes wants to strike hard. This Tuesday, November 19, around thirty tractors were installed in front of the Charleville-Mézières prefecture and blocked pedestrian access to the building. A camp is set up to last.
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In the early morning, this Tuesday, November 19, braving the cold, wind and rain, farmers from the Ardennes Rural Coordination arrived in front of the prefecture in Charleville-Mézières. They dumped tons of straw, agricultural tires and manure in front of the gates. Then, they set up tents in front of the square. Their anger is cold, tenacious, it comes from far away.
Farmers for less than ten years, in 2017, former construction company manager, Jean-Baptiste Bourin, president of Rural Coordination 08, summarizes this action between two cups of coffee. “We put up tents, because we plan to stay here for three or four days, we might go elsewhere, because pushing for two hours is no use, there we're going to block the pedestrian entrance, we're blocking everything. We are around 30 tractors and 50 people, we are all mobilized, we are here to see it through to the end.”
Rural Coordination in front of the Ardennes prefecture.
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© Alexandre Blanc – France Télévisions
The prefecture, for the symbol, always. It is also here that breeders placed dead animals following the bluetongue epidemic. The closed and serious faces already announced a growing unease among the land professionals.
Around thirty tractors in front of the Ardennes prefecture.
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© Alexandre Blanc – France televisions
According to him, the situation is serious for the agricultural world that he represents. “We are at the end of a chain, at the end of a system, we have to think about doing things differently. Of course, there is Mercosur, but farmers also have to rebuild their cash flow, we cannot pay the December annuities. We had promises, loans, but no solution. The State offers us loans to repay a loan! It is clear that we will not take out a loan to rebuild our cash flow. In this case, it would be putting one foot back in the grave.”
Farmers for less time than some colleagues, Jean-Baptiste Bourin compares the two career experiences. “I was an electrician, I had a cost of materials and labor, and I had a selling price. When we sow, we don't know how much we're going to sell our harvest, we never know, we sometimes sell too early, the market is global, it’s complicated.”
So with his colleagues, he left everything behind on the farm. “If we do nothing, no one will say it, farmers will stay at home, destitute, plus there is a high suicide rate in this agricultural world. We're just asking for good citizenship, we're not expecting more, but we're putting pressure on the State to get something concrete.”.
The agricultural unionist recognizes that he is not on the same wavelength as the FDSEA, the majority union in the profession. They agree on certain subjects. “But we want prices, not bonuses, they advocate diversification. For me, it's bullshit, we signed to feed the people, not to produce energy. We adapted. And today, we feel like we're being spit in the face.” sighs Jean-Baptiste.
