Almost a year after a harsh warning, farmers are talking about them again. In several departments, in Normandy or in the south of France, they carried out striking actions on Thursday, October 17, to alert them to the difficulties they are still facing and to warn the government that they are ready to remobilize and to act for a “act 2 of the agricultural revolution”.
“We always want to believe it. But this time, I’m afraid it will be a much bigger balance of power”warned Thomas Klunker, co-secretary general of the Young Farmers union in Haute-Garonne, to BFMTV. “We have to expect that there will be some damage. What happened last year was just a taste”warned a 43-year-old farmer on Sud Radio. Franceinfo returns to the reasons for this anger which is still simmering.
Increasing impatience with suspended discussions
The new Minister of Agriculture is expected to take action on several important issues such as the agricultural orientation law. “What we expect from Annie Genevard is her ability to act and to do it immediately”declared on September 22, on franceinfo, Arnaud Rousseau, president of the FNSEA, giving him a deadline of “fifteen days”. “Part of the commitments are not kept, even if in the future finance bill, we see progress”he argued, Wednesday on TF1.
“The works [sur la loi d’orientation agricole] were in progress before the dissolution. Since the dissolution: end of debates. Agriculture takes a back seat”estimated on BFMTV Mathieu Maronese, departmental co-secretary of Young Farmers in Haute-Garonne. “We’re still dying, so either they get to work quickly or Act 2 of the agricultural revolution will begin.”
“The Barnier government has spoken of an immediate resumption of work. But, by ‘immediate’, we mean in the coming days, and not in January 2025!”argued the FNSEA, still to BFMTV. “We clearly feel that there is a lot of fear, worry, anguishreacted the Minister of Agriculture on Thursday, in the columns ofWest France. The treasuries [des agriculteurs] are weak, bad weather conditions and budget announcements have not yet been delivered.”she added, ensuring that “all measures will be taken”.
But the anger is not only French, it is European, recalled Jérôme Bayle, at the origin of last winter’s protest movement, to France 2’s “20 Heures”. “If there is no rapid reaction from Europe, there risks being a European blockage”at-il having you (video above).
A year 2024 marked by bad weather
This year, France is experiencing one “lower harvests” wheat “of the last forty years”alerted the Ministry of Agriculture in August. The cause: bad weather, which also did not spare other crops, such as barley and rapeseed.
“It’s been going on since October 2023, we have almost 50 to 60% more rain than usual, with September 2024 being the rainiest in twenty-five years”deplored Wednesday on franceinfo Luc Smessaert, vice-president of the FNSEA, himself a farmer in Oise. “The harvests are very complicated”he continues, emphasizing that corn is particularly affected. Wine growers are also affected, he points out. “We had a bad harvest, a bad vintage… We are at -22, -23% in viticulture.”
“We are not going to make up for it with the fall crops of corn, beets or sunflowers.”
at franceinfo
Another problem, “wheat sowing for the next harvest: we are at 5 to 10% sowing, instead of the usual 50%” at this period. The same goes for grain corn harvests: “Barely 10% collected when we are usually at half.”
A devastating bluetongue epizootic
Bluetongue fever (BCF) which has been raging in Europe and France in recent months is causing significant damage to flocks. In France, it mainly affects farms in the northeast quarter. To confront the crisis, the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, announced aid of 75 million euros for affected sheep breeders. Insufficient, judged on October 4 on franceinfo, Yannick Fialip, president of the FNSEA economic commission. According to him, thea FCO strikes “80% of farms” sheep “with a loss averaging more than 10%” on farms.
While vaccination helps protect herds, France is trapped by a shortage. “We do not have a laboratory capable of providing the vaccines we need”recognized the Minister of Agriculture on October 9 during the government question session. “This questions the health autonomy of our country”added Annie Genevard, calling for “a European strategy to better anticipate”.
The dairy sector affected by Lactalis’ choices
The Lactalis group, which claims to be the world number one in dairy products, announced that it would reduce the volumes of milk purchased from French farms by around 9%, from the end of 2024. Around 300 farms, often held by several associated operators, will no longer be collected in the long term by Lactalis in eastern France and around Vendée.
For the breeders concerned, it is a “massive blow”. “To dismiss producers like that is a lack of respect. Lactalis has betrayed us”reacted Etienne Morin, head of an operation in Deux-Sèvres.
In response, the founder of the brand C’est qui le boss called for French and solidarity consumption to support dairy farmers. If a brick of this brand costs on average 8 cents more than its competitors, it allows the producer to be paid more.
For its part, the LSDH group, in the west of France, said it was ready to work with around 50 of the 300 farms which will soon no longer be paid by Lactalis. “A number of abandoned producers are very close to our Cholet production plant” (Maine-et-Loire), declared the president of the dairy group, Emmanuel Vasseneix. He felt he could resume “between 50 and 60 million liters” of milk per year while Lactalis wants to reduce its collection in France by around 450 million liters.
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