There are around a hundred of them who gathered in front of the departmental management of the Haute-Loire territories this Monday, November 18. Mercosur, administrative controls, farmers are angry and intend to make their voices heard.
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Around a hundred farmers gathered in front of the DDT, the departmental management of the Haute-Loire territories this Monday, November 18 to protest in particular against administrative constraints. They dumped more than a ton of paper and straw, crushed then thrown against state service buildings. They denounce too many controls on their activity. In Haute Loire, 1/3 of farmers are inspected each year.
Virginie Crespy, a mobilized farmer, testifies: “In a week, we have 2 to 3 hours of paperwork to do to be up to date. It's not our job. It forces us to do the work we love more quickly. Today when we settle down, we settle for the passion of the profession. These are the animals, the crops, but certainly not making papers. We are not administrative staff. Today, 2 to 3 hours per week is too much, especially given the workload on the farms. When we are behind a computer, we are not behind our cows.”
As for the past ten years, this gesture demonstrates concern about the Mercosur agreements, according to Nicolas Merle, president of the FDSEA: “The quantities that could be imported within the framework of the Mercosur agreements on our territory at European level are the equivalent of the entire meat production of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, of the 12 departments. This means that if this treaty is signed and we import all the meat, all the livestock from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, it’s as if it would disappear.”
Recent epizootics are also the cause of concern and financial difficulties, says a demonstrator: “We were affected by the FCO. I estimate that I lost 65,000 euros in income. I have 300 lambs that are not going to be born. We lost a hundred sheep out of 750. Instead of giving me the compensation to which I am entitled, I had an inspection which delayed everything. Instead of getting it in October, I might not get it until January. It's normal that we have controls, as we receive aid, but there, with the epidemic, we hoped to postpone the controls. The start of 2025 is going to be very complicated. I would still have the same expenses but no income. » The mobilization of farmers will continue at the end of the day with, as in Cantal, village signs renamed in the name of South American cities. And then the unions do not rule out toughening their tone if they do not obtain a favorable response to their demands.
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