the essential
Coincidence of the calendar, the day the FNSEA (re)launched its demonstrations, Patrick Bénézit, president of the national bovine federation (FNB) and vice-president of the first agricultural union, hosted a meeting on breeding, in Sainte-Geneviève- sur-Argence, as part of the elections to the Chamber of Agriculture.
A campaign in the countryside which allowed discussion on the many subjects which affect breeders, namely the Egalim law, FCE-MHE diseases which impact the health and commercial aspects, projects for the common agricultural policy (CAP) 2027 and of course, the Mercosur agreement.
Climate change was addressed with, among the constraints, the emergence of new diseases. Current diseases are already causing losses, which worries breeders, asking not to incur additional costs. In this sense, free vaccines have been approved by the government. Losses which add to the decline in suckling cows with 35,000 fewer births over ten years in Aveyron. The explanation is the increase in aid from €180 to €105 for suckling cows for the benefit of cows over 16 months classified in large livestock units (LGU). “It is proposed for the 2027 CAP to increase suckler cows and rename them as a productive large livestock unit to deal with agribashing with this policy of reducing meat consumption”, analyzes Bruno Nayrolles, co-president of the FDSEA beef cattle section of Aveyron. Which makes him say in relation to the news with the Mercosur free trade agreement: “Everything is linked, it’s not trivial. At this rate, with the drop in births, we will need it because we will not be able to fatten cows that have not been born.”
“Don’t stay isolated”
An implacable logic which requires us to remember that a breeder sustains a territory and that a cow maintains it. After industry, it is agriculture and, consequently, food autonomy which risks disappearing in France. Added to this vicious circle is the feeling of isolation. “The constraint is the renewal of generations, there are fewer and fewer of us. We must break prejudices, open our farms, not remain isolated, we need to defend our profession,” concludes Antoine Roualdès, deputy general secretary of the Young Farmers of Aveyron.
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