Thursday, November 14 in the evening, in Soturac, the community council of the Lot Valley and the vineyard discussed at length the wine situation and the resulting decisions. On November 13, the registration of files for the uprooting of vines stopped, the government having validated the uprooting of vines with no future at €4,000/ha. The European Commission had given its approval, so it was possible to uproot 30,000 ha of vineyards on French territory, representing €120 million. France gave its agreement.
Uprooting was requested by the profession in order to respond to the most critical difficulties, following six years of frost, hail and mildew over the last eight years, encountered by a certain number of wine farms. The result at the national level reached 27,500 ha, below forecasts, which will make it possible to compensate all the cases, numbering around 5,400.
For the Lot, 748 hectares which will be uprooted, which represents 102 farms. Two possibilities for grubbing up: go through professional companies who grub up, remove the stakes and wires and the land will have to be plowed, cost of the operation €3,000/ha.
Second possibility: the owner does it himself and is required to remove all destroyed stakes and wires and plow the field.
Bonuses will only be given in conditions where the land is clean. This is time and cost borne by the owner without leaving stakes and wires. Once the land has been stripped bare, it must remain in that state for six years before being able to replant, and less than the areas torn up. Operators who have submitted a file will be obliged to remove at least 80% of the application submitted.
The fear also at the level of the community council is to know what the situation will be in 2025. President Serge Bladinières asked to approve the principle of the subsidy to the interprofessional union of Cahors and Cotes du Lot wines to the tune of 150,000 €, distributed €100,000 in 2024 and €50,000 in 2025, in order to finance promotional operations for wines from Cahors. The president recalled that the CCVLV is the only community to finance this system in 2024; unanimity of the council.
