the essential
For the first time, the Lot Rural Coordination is mobilizing. This Monday, they were on the roundabout near the Cahors Sud toll to check the freight trucks and check where their goods came from.
“My goal is to have concrete things for the Lot and its farmers,” says Laurent Porte, president of the Lot Rural Coordination and cow breeder in Figeacois. For the first time, this agricultural union is mobilizing in the Lot. “Before, we did not have enough staff. There, some were really motivated to do something so we organized this demonstration. In the coming days, we will mobilize again,” assures the president of CR 46, which has 106 members to date. This Monday, there were around thirty of them meeting at the roundabout near the Cahors-Sud toll station on the A20. Farmers from Aveyron and Tarn-et-Garonne joined the mobilization.
DDM Aouregan Texier
Their demands: relief for undeveloped land. “We are asking for 100% on cereals and livestock. We have been suffering for 40 years. This would allow the treasury to breathe. Locally, we want to reduce the costs on farms,” continues Laurent Porte. Farmers want loans at 1% (compared to 3.5% currently) for everyone; but also a reduction in MSA (agricultural social mutuality) charges depending on income and difficulties. Meetings with the MSA and Crédit Agricole will be requested.
A reduction in CAP controls
The objective of this morning's demonstration: to check freight trucks to check where their goods come from. “We have to consume locally. Consumers have to put money back on food. As Coluche said, if they didn't buy, there wouldn't be anything,” continues the president of the union. The farmers therefore positioned a tractor on each median and carried out traffic. The aim was not to block the movement of light vehicles, the checks were rapid. Farmers want to know what the vehicle is transporting, to make an import statement. If the truck is transporting foreign goods, the objective was to immobilize it for a while, without hindering other traffic. “Hello, what are you carrying?”, ask the farmers. Not much of interest, say the truckers. “Strangely, they are all empty this morning,” laughs one of the farmers.
This morning, farmers from the Rural Coordination control the transport of freight trucks, at the exit of the A20 toll, in Cahors Sud. pic.twitter.com/HoSwIJUtvE
— La Dépêche du Lot (@LaDepeche46) https://twitter.com/LaDepeche46/status/1860992798582800614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
But nothing to discourage Rural Coordination. Around 11 a.m., one of the groups stopped a truck. “He transports seeds to make yogurt. It comes from Portugal, and it goes to Aveyron,” comments one of the farmers. The truck is let go, but the Aveyron residents present say: “We will take care of it at home”. Around noon, the members of the Rural Coordination directly asked to open the truck doors. Just to check the content themselves.
Representatives of Rural Coordination went to meet the prefect, Claire Raulin, at the beginning of the afternoon. “We have had some important progress. We managed to have 30% on the tax on undeveloped land on arable land, and 80% on viticulture and arboriculture, before it was 60%. And also a reduction of controls on the CAP [grâce à la politique du contrôle unique – NDLR]”, comments Laurent Porte, at the end of the day. Enough to calm things down a little, but not enough to stop the anger of the farmers.
The FDSEA is back on track
This Wednesday, the FDSEA plans to mobilize at the end of the morning. The meeting point is at the Montat roundabout. They will organize their “fires of anger” there and a catering point for the demonstrators. Then at the beginning of the afternoon, they will begin their snail operation with the destination of the Departmental Directorate of Territories (DDT), located on Quai Cavaignac in Cahors, but also the French Office for Biodiversity. A choice motivated by the slogan: “Stop obstacles to agriculture and yes to administrative simplification. »
