After the Peasant Confederation, the FDSEA and the Young Farmers – the latter two unions making a joint list – it is the turn of the Rural Coordination to present its list for the elections to the Chamber of Agriculture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence . The union organization presents its candidacy for two of the ten colleges that make up the Chamber of Agriculture: that of farm managers and similar and that of retired operators.
“Prizes, not bonuses”
It is Mathieu Pintz, cereal grower and seed multiplier, based in Oraison, who will be at the head of the list. “We want to shake things up, bring a fresh perspective and new ideas”explains the thirty-year-old.
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The campaign slogan is already ready: “Prices not bonuses”. By this, the head of the list means calling for a revaluation of products: “It would be better to have good purchase prices and not need help”he explains, with reference to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). And to recognize that this European aid paid according to the size of the farm is essential: “To personally if I don't have any more bonus tomorrow, I return the keys and that's it. And it's pretty much the same for everyone. It’s not a situation that suits us.”
In addition to income, the union also intends to raise the issue of consideration for farmers. “We need to be considered a little more, both by politicians and by the population”explains Florent Signoret, president of the lower Alpine branch of the yellow caps.
A very young union
If the Rural Coordination is an emblem of the anger of farmers which has shaken the country for several months, it is only very recently that it has been established in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. More precisely, it was on a roundabout in Oraison that the idea germinated, before being officially launched at the village hall of the hamlet of Pourcelles, in the commune of Mées. “There was a gathering of farmers. Several of us joined there, and the CR des Hautes-Alpes, which was also there, noticed us. They asked us if we were interested in doing something in this department , and that's how we got started.”says Florent Signoret, a cereal farmer based in the same hamlet of Pourcelles.
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Like others, he was previously a union member of the FNSEA, the majority union in the agricultural world. “The president (Arnaud Rousseau, also chairman of the board of directors of the Avril group, Editor's note) does not always defend what we defend, and it does not correspond to the vision we have of an agricultural union”explains Florent Signoret. And added: “Every time there is a major movement of farmers in France it is initiated by the Coordination. It's the yellow hats that we see first“.
Realistic about the youth of the union organization he represents, Mathieu Pintz hopes at least “enter the House, that is to say obtain at least one seat, he explains. We only have eight months, we don't have the ambition to win the room or take anyone's place, but we intend to make things happen.”.
“We don’t have a lot of support”
The treasurer is optimistic about his chances of obtaining one of the coveted seats: “I'm happy and at the same time surprised by the number of people who come to see us or who call us to congratulate us. Even if they don't all become members, they show an interest. We don't have a lot of support, especially during demonstrations”.
Also, the organization ensures that it has already managed to move the lines at the local level, in partnership with the Hautes-Alpes hunting association: “We managed to break contracts with UGAP, which brought us enormous progress on the price of electricity.” To obtain others, joining the Departmental Chamber of Agriculture would represent a considerable advantage.
The election will be held between January 15 and 31. The thirty seats are distributed proportionally to the number of votes obtained, with the exception of the college of farm managers, where the list that comes first collects half of the seats. The other half being distributed proportionally to the other lists. Farmers registered on the electoral roll will be able to vote at a polling station but also online and by mail.
