“Disgusted“after Annie Genevard’s visit, farmers in the Pyrénées-Orientales threaten to”block everything“, reported Friday October 18 France Bleu Roussillon. The new Minister of Agriculture visited the department on Thursday October 17, a little more than eight months after her predecessor Marc Fesneau.
In the midst of an agricultural crisis, his visit did not reassure. On the contrary, it disappointed and aroused anger. Jean Henric, the president of the Young Farmers in the Pyrénées-Orientales assures that the mobilization will go up a notch: “We are going back into the field, but these will not be simple demonstrations like we had last spring. We will last over time and if we have to block the border for fifteen days, three weeks, we will do it without worries“.
During her trip, the Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard notably went to Rivesaltes where she noted the drying up of the Agly. She met different players in the sector, including winegrowers and arborists.
Annie Genevard announced an envelope for a wastewater reuse project. This should make it possible to distribute 1.3 million cubic meters to farmers from June 2026. This was the main announcement by the Minister of Agriculture, but this project has already been presented by the former Minister of Agriculture. Ecological transition, Christophe Béchu, reminds France Bleu Roussillon. No solution to alleviate the emergency was immediately announced.
“It’s always the same: no announcement. 2.5 million for reuse water in Argelès-sur-Mer, unfortunately that will not be enough and we are doomed“, deplores Jean Henric at the microphone of France Bleu. Farmers were hoping for aid per hectare to save farms and cooperatives in the department, but no announcement to this effect has been made.
The Aspres, the vines die. What do we do? What can we plant today?
Jean HenryPresident of the Young Farmers of the Pyrénées-Orientales
To get out of the wine crisis, the French government submitted to the European Commission a vast plan to uproot vines, with a budget of 120 million euros with an aid amount of 4,000 euros per hectare. The objective is to reduce the overproduction of wine in France. “Uprooting vines will be a disaster in the department because all the vines uprooted will never be replanted and these lands will simply become wasteland.“, worries Jean Henric.
“We are told that there is no more money” the farmer annoys. “Money to bring water to the department, there is none, but there was some to clean the water of the Seine for the Olympic Games“, he mocks.
Guest of France Bleu Roussillon, Friday October 18, Annie Genevard, explains that she wishes “plead“before the European Commission for the implementation”a temporary tearing device“. The minister elaborates: “You have to think carefully before the final uprooting, you have to calibrate things carefully. There are vines which no longer produce, which have been too damaged by drought, but there are vines which can still produce in an interesting way.“.
More generally, Annie Genevard ensures “hear the distress“farmers in particular because of”climatic conditions, this drought which has lasted for three years and which is undermining production and cash flow“. She promises that “all commitments“taken by the previous government to respond to the agricultural crisis will be”budgetarily held“. The finance bill for 2025 is currently being examined in the National Assembly.
Concerning the simplification of agricultural standards, she promises the establishment of single control of farms. “I made a commitment, I will keep it“, because the farmers”are exasperated by this suspicion that the multiplication of controls conveys“The Minister of Agriculture assures Friday October 18 on France Bleu Roussillon that she will make announcements”in the coming days” about this.
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