Anger of farmers: “Agricultural unhappiness is increasing”, says Jean-François Fruttero, president of the MSA Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne

The Mutuelle Sociale Agricole (MSA) suffered the anger of farmers in January of this year, during the major wave of demonstrations which took place in Agen. A few days before a new large-scale mobilization, Jean-François Fruttero, president of the MSA Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne as well as the Caisse centrale, took the initiative to communicate through the press. Especially since the final notifications of contributions and the regularization invoices for the year have just been sent by the organization to farmers.

“I know that they arrive in a context that is not necessarily favorable,” concedes Jean-François Fruttero. “On the other hand, I don’t see this communication as a way to reduce the pressure on us. I want farmers to have visibility of the tools at their disposal to overcome this difficult milestone. The MSA is there: the door is open and the hand is outstretched. She is at their side to support them. »

Like all observers from the agricultural world, the MSA, a “social protection body and professional agricultural organization”, is witness to “the significant crisis” which has been affecting farmers for several years.

Rising rates of unpaid contributions

Between the numerous climatic hazards (frost in 2021 and 2022, excess rainfall between 2023 and 2024) and the epidemics affecting livestock farming (bluetongue (BCF), epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EMD) or even bovine tuberculosis), “the context economic is degraded, with sectors structurally weakened,” explains Jean-François Fruttero.

“Agriculture is getting bogged down in a crisis which is becoming much more structural than cyclical,” he notes. The impact on professional income is obvious, marked by high volatility and an expected decline in 2024 due to the many ups and downs we have just gone through. »

For him, the drop in farmers' income “is the main cause of the crisis and the trigger for agricultural protests.” He specifies: “There will be an impact on cash flow. We are seeing it, locally and nationally: more and more difficulties in honoring contributions. The outstanding recovery rates are increasing significantly, a sign of a deteriorating situation. We observe an increase in unpaid debts of 4%, a figure higher than the national average. Lack of income means difficulty paying expenses and supporting your family, and this quickly creates a problem of dignity. »

MSA “must be the solution, not a problem”

The president of the MSA Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne mentions a battery of means of aid for farmers in difficulty. “We have several tools, such as the spreading of contribution payments, as well as a contribution support envelope of 1.5 million euros (for Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne), in order to to alleviate the financial burden weighing on them. »

Concerning the management of agricultural distress, “which is progressing significantly, with an increasing number of reports to our monitoring center between 2023 and 2024”, the MSA also has several solutions to propose.

“We are working on respite assistance in the context of professional burnout. This involves extracting farmers from their environment when they are in great difficulty. We can mobilize replacement services to take over on the farm and allow farmers to rest and recharge. There is also administrative relief. MSA should be seen as a solution, not a problem. It must take a close look at the populations it supports. »