Lack of yield, spread of diseases, optimization of land… A young farmer from Gers uproots a plot of vines

Installed at the controls of his mini excavator, Ianis Cahuzac has been working on the 2.25 hectare plot since the beginning of the morning. The action repeats itself, foot by foot. The Gersois wedges each vine between the teeth of the trenching bucket before raising the mechanical arm and taking away the next plants. The young 24-year-old farmer tears up the rows of vines planted on land adjoining a field in which the cereals sown about a fortnight ago are already poking their heads.

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This plot was acquired in 2019 by the family farm, located in the municipalities of Valence-sur-Baïse and Mansencôme. But “the rows of vines were planted far too close together, there are only 1.60 meters between each row, compared to nearly 2.8 meters normally”, justifies the young man, while his two dogs frolic between the Merlot feet. Beyond requiring technical adjustments, with specific machines, this vineyard posed production problems.

Optimize farm land

“As the vines are too close together, the yields are not very good and diseases spread more quickly, continues Ianis. We have more vines and less production. Since 2019, between the frost, which affected 70% of the vineyard , and diseases, this year we had the best harvest, despite the rain.” The young farmer, who is in the process of being established, and his uncle therefore decided to uproot the vines and replant, on another plot, the same surface of Merlot, this time with the necessary spacing.

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The two wine growers should be able to benefit from grubbing-up bonuses. “I inquired about having the vines pulled out by a professional, but it cost nearly €3,000 for two hectares,” explains Ianis, who therefore preferred to spend “five or six days” in the mini excavator and do it himself. -even. After removing each foot of soil, the farmer forms piles and continues with a new row.

On this land located near Valence-sur-Baïse, the Gersois then plans, by combining the two plots, to produce sunflowers. Because the vines only represent around fifteen hectares of the entire farm, which is mixed farming and breeding. “We also have 25 mother cows who occupy the meadows with the grazers,” says Ianis. “And we then grow 73 hectares of field crops.” By settling in “little by little”, the young Gersois wants to “try to expand our farm and optimize our land. But that takes time.”