“One of the rare prefects who knows how to milk a sheep”: who is Alain Castanier, the new prefect of Gers?

We already knew his name. Now, this Monday, December 2, some officials got to know the new prefect of Gers: Alain Castanier. Faithful to tradition, the senior official marked his first public appearance by laying a wreath in front of the war memorial on Place Salinis in Auch.

A first public gesture which marks his taking office for his first position as prefect. A sort of logical continuation for the man who held, for years, the roles of secretary general and sub-prefect across France.

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From the Parisian suburbs to Auch: Alain Castanier will be the new prefect of Gers

Aged 60, Alain Castanier is originally from Aveyron, more precisely from Millau where he was born. Married, father of a family and even grandfather, the new prefect of Gers knows rural life well having grown up in a farming family. “I am one of the rare prefects who knows how to milk a sheep, drive a tractor or a harvester… I like the land,” he says.

“I had the opportunity to get to know the Gers department”

He has had two careers in his life: the first within the regional directorate of industry, research and the environment (DRIRE), where he held various positions. His career took him to the prefecture, notably in our region, to Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the Hautes-Pyrénées (from 2005 to 2007), then to Haute-Saône, Haute-Vienne, Finistère and Pas- de-Calais (general secretary of the prefecture and sub-prefect of the district of Arras), before his last post in Essonne as as delegated prefect for equal opportunities.

He knows the Gers department well having lived there. In 1995, he was appointed head of DRIRE, a position he held for eight years. “I had the opportunity to get to know the department, its inhabitants and to meet business leaders… It was a period that I loved,” admits the new prefect.

He does not hide his surprise but above all his joy at being named prefect in this territory that he cherishes. “It’s my adopted department. So, the possibility of coming back to work in the Gers is extraordinary for me, and I will do everything to help, both in the areas of tourism and those of agriculture and industry “, he confesses.

Agriculture, roads, justice: priorities

To develop the department, Alain Castanier intends to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Laurent Carrié. Road safety, justice, society and agriculture: the priority subjects have already been defined. And if the government was quick to appoint a new prefect for the Gers, it is because the agricultural issues of the moment also require a dialogue with an interlocutor from the State services.

This rapid appointment is also explained by the numerous crucial files waiting in the prefectural office. “Gers is the second largest agricultural department in France. When there are tensions, for reasons that I understand, it is obvious that we cannot be absent,” explains Alain Castanier.

This priority subject will occupy its first days. While agricultural mobilization is picking up again, the new prefect must already meet the various players in the sector.