Rural Coordination tractors set up in front of the Gironde prefecture

After the fire of anger ignited this Monday evening by the FNSEA and the Young Farmers on the quays of Bordeaux, it is the turn of the Rural Coordination to mobilize this November 19. Around twenty tractors left Créon at 6 a.m. and headed towards the Bordeaux prefecture.

This Tuesday morning, at the call of the Gironde Rural Coordination, farmers from Entre-deux-mers left Créon early on board their tractors. They headed for the prefecture of Gironde in the Mériadeck district of Bordeaux. They have a meeting with the prefect, Etienne Guyot, at 10 a.m.

Vincent Colineau, farmer in Monségur and member of the Rural Coordination in Gironde, summarizes in a few words the reason for this mobilization: “cWhat we are asking for is less charges, freeing us from taxation, freeing us from standards!“

The problem existed before Mercosur… If they add this agreement to us, we will be buried!

Vincent Colineau

Farmer in Monségur (33), CR33

“Cows, sheep, vines and arboriculture, kiwis”its activity is at the crossroads of all the issues of the moment. On the breeding side, it suffers from various epizootics, but also predation problems, “badgers and wolves in the area“.  “In viticulture, we have problems with phyto, in arboriculture, we have big problems with water resources! For cereal, it’s the same!”, he laments. Not to mention the taxation that hits them : “the MSA, the plate is not good!”

As it produces kiwis, the problem of water and its cost are part of the puzzle. “ We are made to pay three times more for water than before, there is no reason.” he is indignant. According to the latter, “it was the farmers who financed the lakes to retain the water and ensure its management. However, we have more and more taxes. This is not possible!“

I paid 3,500 euros for water rights, I pumped almost nothing.

Vincent Colineau

Coordination rurale 33

A delegation of farmers is received this Tuesday at 10 a.m. by the prefect of Gironde and Aquitaine Etienne Guyot. Farmers have already expressed the fact that they could be “very upset” if they are not truly heard. “The prefect came to our geographical area at the beginning of the year… I hope he will bring out his notes! Not much has changed. We, in a year, will not is no longer there. And half of the people in the procession stop their activity.”

We, in a year, will no longer be here!

Vincent Colineau

Coordination rurale 33

He describes the morale of his colleagues as at rock bottom, “some have not come. People are exhausted. There are those who have come back even stronger than in the spring and those who are disillusioned“.

Around 8 a.m., the procession stopped in Pessac in front of the town hall, where they intended to make known their dissatisfaction with the municipal decision to ban foie gras. They dumped a dumpster of waste against the walls of the town hall and changed the flag of the European Union to raise the colors of rural coordination.

We went to Pessac to denounce the town hall's ban on serving foie gras, in the middle of the production area. It’s a traditional South-West activity!

Vincent Colineau

Farmer in Monségur, CR33

They should then resume their journey towards Bordeaux. Difficulties in this area are to be expected concerning the circulation of cars, but also of the tram.

Already Monday evening, there were around forty Gironde farmers demonstrating in Bordeaux at the call of the FNSEA and the JA of Gironde. They had kindled “a great fire of wrath.”

This Monday evening, the prefect of Gironde went to meet the demonstrators.

These actions, both those of the Rural Coordination as well as those of the FNSEA and the JA, are part of the current social movement of protest against the draft Mercosur agreement. This could be signed during the G20 which began on January 18. Emmanuel Macron and his Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevrard, said they were opposed to the text “as it stands”.
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