Anger of farmers: “We will use the necessary means, too bad for the consequences”, dozens of tractors reached the Gers prefecture

Act II is launched in the Gers. Dozens of tractors gathered on the Justes roundabout, in Auch, from this Monday, November 18 in the middle of the afternoon. Straw, tires, leaves: five farmers dumped the contents of their skip in the middle of the roundabout, as a sign of protest. In the distance, gray smoke reaches the clouds.

“We will use the necessary means, too bad for the consequences that this will have, but we need to change course, it is urgent,” assures Guillaume Fauqué, president of the Young Farmers (JA) of Gers. Accompanied by the FNSEA, they call on operators to mobilize and denounce the South American free trade agreement, Mercosur, which the European Commission would like to sign before the end of the year.

Once the bins are completely emptied, each operator returns to their tractor, heading towards the Patte d'Oie roundabout. The roads are partially blocked, traffic impacted. But for several minutes, the machines are stopped.

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“When we see that they are ready to import agricultural products from production where they use molecules banned in our country for more than 30 years, and that we are going to be in competition with that, already we cannot to make a living from our job, it really pisses us off,” says Benoît Dupuy, an operator in Brugnens, in the north of the department. It is finally to the sound of horns and firecrackers that the farmers take the road to the Gers prefecture.

The Mercosur agreement called into question

Around 5:30 p.m., the tractors reach their final destination. At the level of the cathedral square, dozens of machines. At the prefecture gate, dozens of “borrowed” municipal road signs are hung. With this new act, Gers farmers denounce the delay in the implementation of some of the 70 commitments made last winter by the previous government after the mobilization at the beginning of 2024.

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“We are waiting for progress on many points, insists Guillaume Fauqué. If it does not come, we are not closing any doors. The goal is to defend our agriculture, to do it with dignity without bothering people, but at some point given, we will have to be able to make ourselves heard too.”

In the sights of Young Farmers: the Mercosur agreement. “We are once again bringing in goods that do not meet the specifications imposed on us. This will once again be unfair competition in relation to our products, with products of lower quality, at lower prices. “In periods of inflation like we are experiencing today, we know very well that our competitiveness will be undermined.”

“I came to bring a letter of opposition”

Dozens of farmers were mobilized for this first day of mobilization. This is the case of Emma and Léa, daughters of farmers. “Our father is a farmer, he has 150 hectares near Fleurance, so we are here to support him and support the farmers. We are also here for our future, there is heritage at stake,” explains one of the young women.

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At their bedside, the president of the Department, Philippe Dupouy, who came to discuss the Patte d'Oie roundabout with them. “I came to provide my support, but also a letter of opposition to the Mercosur agreement. It is a symbolic action perhaps, but it is a letter that I sent to the President of the Republic so that “he puts all his weight behind him and ensures that this agreement is rejected at European level, because that's where it's at stake.”