The Occitanie Region mobilizes more than 4 million euros for Gard agriculture

Regional elected officials from Occitanie stopped off in Gard this Friday, November 15 as part of their meeting with stakeholders in the agricultural sector (chamber of agriculture, unions, cooperatives). The opportunity to take the pulse of a sector in crisis.

Present at the Maison de la Région, Jean-Louis Cazaubon, deputy vice-president for food sovereignty, viticulture and mountains, alongside in particular the Gard elected officials Katy Guyot and Aurélie Génolher, made a point of recalling the various actions: 4.1 M € mobilized from the Region in Gard for agriculture this year.

Agricultural land

For example, the Region has implemented a €160 million water plan over seven years with a significant component on irrigation. The vice-president also thinks of Aqua Domitia, “the future passes this way”to secure the water supply in Gard. Jean-Louis Cazaubon talks about the initiative of President Carole Delga which allows for an investment of around ten million euros per year for the water component: “This represents 12,000 hectares equipped for irrigation.”

The Region also invests in agricultural operations, the Cuma (Cooperatives for the use of agricultural equipment), to help with the installation (Young ecological income, Young farmer grant, New farmer grant). “A necessity because agriculture and agri-food provide 165,000 jobs in Occitania”adds Jean-Louis Cazaubon.

He cites the example of Foncière agricole d'Occitanie, a sort of deferred access to land which limits debt from the start of the operation. “It’s sort of a rent-to-own option.” The property company rents the land to the farmer for a period of 4 to 9 years with payment of a royalty. At the end of the maturity period, he can therefore repurchase the land.

But these regional initiatives, elected officials are convinced, must also be accompanied by measures from the State and the European Union.