The left-leaning agricultural union, which received 10.22% of the votes in Gard during the last elections, wants to “put some humanity back” into the consular body.
“Today, our chamber is a commercial service. We must put the free service back at the heart of the Gard Chamber of Agriculture. Others are in France.” The tone is set among the representatives of Modef, meeting this Friday, January 3 in Alès, a few days before the launch of the election campaign to the department's Chamber of Agriculture, which starts this Wednesday, January 8.
From January 15 to 31, farmers in the department are invited to vote, by correspondence, for the representatives of the consular body, the current majority of which is represented by the alliance between the largest national unions including the FDSEA and the Young Farmers .
Also read:
Elections to the Gard Chamber of Agriculture: the FDSEA, the JA, cooperation and independent winegrowers present “a common union list”
“A farmer who does not earn his living cannot practice ecology”
Particularly established in the north of Gard and the Cévennes sector, the union is putting forward, for this election, a list “two-thirds renewed” and partly rejuvenated, partly composed of breeders, winegrowers and nurserymen. Present but discreet during the January 2024 demonstrations, the union has been defending, for several years, “the reinstatement of the floor price guaranteed by the State”in the words of Frédéric Mazer, sheep breeder in Corbès and Gard president of Modef.
“For us, income comes first,” he maintains. For Modef, the evolution and transformations needed in agricultural areas must first involve better remuneration. “A farmer who does not earn his living cannot practice ecologyadds Xavier Fabre, winegrower in Domazan. It's normal: he thinks first about feeding himself and his family. With a decent income, you will see, they will start doing ecology.”
As for the term commercial register concerning the current chamber, Modef deplores the costs impacted to farmers concerning several administrative procedures. In their measures, they also campaign for “replace sectoral agricultural advisors” in order to improve proximity with professionals : “It’s an essential service, and it will restore humanity and show the usefulness of the room.”
France
