“We need to clarify things” with the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, said the majority agricultural union FNSEA on Wednesday, which hopes that he will announce a tax exemption measure for cattle breeders on Friday at the livestock summit. .
The organization expects politicians who come to the show to have a real long-term vision for livestock farming and not simply to show off to the cows’ ass, declared its president, Arnaud Rousseau, during a press conference. .
Singularly, we need to clarify things with Bruno Le Maire, continued Mr. Rousseau.
For him, the minister must show that he understood the need to preserve breeding during a visit to the event which attracts more than 100,000 visitors until Friday near Clermont-Ferrand.
Contacted by AFP, Bercy indicated that a trip by the minister to Auvergne on Friday was an option seriously considered.
Farmers and agricultural cooperatives are increasingly openly criticizing the former Minister of Agriculture (2009-2012), particularly since he tweeted in May the carbon footprint of plant-based meat substitutes.
Professionals also fear paying the price for their desire to lower the cost of food.
Bercy is proposing a bill to advance annual negotiations between supermarkets and their major agri-food suppliers (Mondelez, Nestl, Danone, etc.) in the hope of lowering prices more quickly on the shelves.
Tuesday at the livestock summit, a breeder denounced to the Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau the bullshit of the Minister of the Economy.
Mr. Fesneau later affirmed that his colleague from Bercy would undoubtedly want to present to the breeders himself, within the week, a tax exemption measure which would imply a shortfall for the State of 50 to 100 million euros.
We are aiming for 100 million rather than 50, warned Arnaud Rousseau, which would allow dairy and meat cow breeders to pay around 15,000 euros less in taxes.
The FNSEA is pleading for the end of a tax grab which does not seem legitimate to us: with inflation, the book value of cows increases, which artificially inflates the taxable profit of operators, according to the union.
The cow produces as much milk, as much calf, the farmer has nothing more in his pocket but must pay more taxes, deplores Patrick Bnzit, second vice-president of the FNSEA and president of the national cattle federation.