Gabriel Attal during his visit to the Whelk Fair in Pirou in Manche on April 27, 2024 (AFP/DAMIEN MEYER)
The government made public “complementary” measures in favor of farmers on Saturday, in the hope of ending for good the crisis which caused exceptional blockages at the start of the year, meeting with a positive response from the majority unions.
Among these measures are the promised presentation “at the beginning of May” of the final version of the Ecophyto pesticide reduction plan, put on hold due to the agricultural crisis, new cash flow aid for farms, the acceleration of 100 production projects. water storage or irrigation, and an aid plan for three departments hit by weather crises (Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Hérault).
After the unprecedented mobilization of farmers and intense negotiations lasting several months, a new “phase” is opening for the “concrete implementation” of each of these measures, welcomed the majority unions, the FNSEA and the Young Farmers on Saturday. But they promise to be “extremely vigilant” to monitor their implementation, and the vote this summer of a new agricultural law.
The government also confirms that the reform of agricultural pensions, the technical implementation of which was debated, will apply “from 2026” to the best 25 years of career.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is expected on Saturday with his minister Marc Fesneau in Manche in Pirou where he will visit a “whelk fair” and then a market garden.
– “Overall response” –
After the historic agricultural crisis of this winter, these measures “really make it possible to arrive at a global response to the concerns expressed by farmers and to enter a phase which is no longer that of mobilization”, we underline from government sources.
Even if a potential meeting between agricultural unions and Emmanuel Macron “will depend a lot on the reaction of the different unions to this new package”, we add.
Some agricultural unions are talking about a possible meeting with the president on May 2, not confirmed at this stage by the Elysée.
The deputies must also examine on Monday according to Matignon the agricultural orientation bill, revised after the crisis. With subjects such as training, hedges or the revision of the scale of penalties in the event of damage to nature, it aims to accelerate the arrival of new generations of farmers, relieved of certain environmental constraints.
Gabriel Attal received on several occasions the agricultural unions who, on March 19, had presented to him five “blocks” of priorities which concerned breeding, water storage and pesticides, “competitiveness”, treasury and agricultural retirements.
Government and farmers have “converged on a new strategy” of the Ecophyto 2030 plan which will take up the government’s commitments: to simplify it and now be based on a European indicator, instead of the French used until now.
This change in method is denounced by several NGOs who criticize the European indicator for less clearly differentiating the harmfulness of pesticides.
The “strategic council”, a compulsory diagnosis of the phytosanitary practices of each farm, will be “removed in its current form” and the government undertakes to work on a “reformed council”.
– Retirements in 2026 –
Gabriel Attal during his visit to the Whelk Fair in Pirou in Manche on April 27, 2024 (AFP/DAMIEN MEYER)
For farmers’ cash flow, the public investment bank BPI France will provide new financing of at least 100 million euros in the form of personal cash loans (up to 75,000 euros) or guarantees for loans from private banks. .
The government also plans to increase the rate of property tax relief on undeveloped properties in the event of a climate or health disaster.
In the longer term, the government plans to launch a “support” plan for farmers in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude and Hérault, particularly affected by drought, frost or floods, which will be equipped with 50 million euros for projects to adapt to climate change and develop local sectors.
The government has also committed to accelerating 50 agricultural water storage or irrigation projects by June, and 50 others by the end of 2024. Types of projects highly contested by environmental associations.
© 2024 AFP
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