Hérault farmers want more than aid

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This Monday, November 18, 2024a major agricultural mobilization took place in Hérault. Organized by the departmental federations of the FNSEA and Young Farmersit brought together around a hundred demonstrators in Montpellier in front of the prefecture. Their message is clear: we must save a profession stifled by economic and regulatory constraints.

Céline Michelon, winemaker at Villeveyrac, sums up the general state of mind: “We would like to make a living from our profession. Today, we live like animals. » This cry of alarm reflects a reality shared by many operators: grueling working conditions, insufficient income and constant pressure. In Hérault, as elsewhere in France, viticulture is on the brink of collapse. According to the FDSEA70% of farms have been in deficit for five years. “Working 60 hours a week, that doesn’t bother us,” explains Cédric Saur, winemaker from Faugères. “But not being able to make a living from our job is unbearable. »

The major problem lies in the selling prices of agricultural products. Winegrowers are demanding an increase in value to achieve a decent level of income. An increase of just 15 cents per bottle could change the situation, according to them. But prices remain driven down by fierce international competition, amplified by agreements like Mercosur. The demonstrators denounce these agreements which allow the import of agricultural products that do not respect the same standards as those imposed in France: “If it is not good for us, why would it be good for others? » Operators are calling for harmonization of standards at European and global level: “We are ready to respect all the rules, but only if our competitors also apply them. »

Insufficient aid in the face of a structural crisis

The prefect of Hérault, François-Xavier Lauchmet the demonstrators and detailed the support measures put in place. In 2023, 49 million euros have been mobilized for the wine industry, with aid for permanent grubbing up (12.8 million euros) and property tax reductions (6.4 million euros). However, these measures are not enough to calm anger. “What we want is not to live on aid, it is to live from our work,” insists a demonstrator. Farmers consider these one-off solutions ineffective in the face of a structural crisis that has lasted for years.

The transmission of farms is also threatened. “We wonder if it’s a gift or a burden that we leave to our children,” confides a winegrower. Many young people are hesitant to take over family farms, discouraged by economic uncertainties and working conditions. After their rally in front of the prefecture, the demonstrators took over the Place de la Comédie, in the heart of Montpellier. Accompanied by tractors loaded with manure, they unfurled a black drape over the statue of the Three Graces and hung union flags: “We want to remind everyone that French agriculture is essential to food sovereignty. »

What solutions for the future?

The demands of winegrowers are precise: harmonization of standards, revaluation of prices, support for the restructuring of farms and diversification projects adapted to local realities. They also call for better collaboration between producers, distributors and consumers.

The prefect insisted on the importance of working together to respond to the challenges of the sector. He mentioned subsidized loans for farms in difficulty and winter reservoir projects to guarantee water supplies. However, farmers remain skeptical: “We want actions, not just promises. » This mobilization reflects a global crisis in French agriculture. It asks an essential question: how can we guarantee the sustainability of our farms while responding to economic, ecological and social challenges? As one demonstrator unfortunately points out: “We produce to feed others, but today, we can no longer even feed our own families. »

Peasant anger does not subside: this Tuesday morning, it is the turn of the activists of the Rural coordination of Hérault -CR 34- to go down the street, or rather on the routers and on the A9 motorway to the Spanish border.

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