“Cure so as not to experience this again”: around a hundred farmers demonstrated on Monday in Pas-de-Calais to demand a cleaning of the rivers, which according to them would make it possible to prevent new catastrophic floods for their crops.
Coming with a backhoe, tractors and banners, the demonstrators gathered in the morning of Outreau on the banks of the Liane to denounce the inaction of the public authorities, according to them, in the face of the floods which have hit the department since November.
We are asking that the waterways be maintained and the same thing for the Canche and the Aa, explained Jean-Pierre Clipet, departmental secretary of the FDSEA (departmental federation of farmers’ unions).
According to the prefecture, the demonstration brought together around sixty tractors.
FDSEA and Young Farmers (JA) also launched this day of action to demand an evaluation of the emergency fund of 80 million euros promised by the government for the affected farmers of Hauts-de-France but also of Brittany and Normandy affected. by storm Ciaran.
This aid, which will go up to 5,000 euros (per farm), does not satisfy us. We have market farmers who are very neglected, they have fears for winter vegetables, and we do not know how (this aid) will be allocated, worries Mr. Clipet.
According to the FDSEA, in Pas-de-Calais, the floods have already compromised sugar beet crops which will have to be uprooted and have also prevented the sowing of wheat, only 50% of which has been sown since November. .
The Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Bchu announced Thursday in Pas-de-Calais a change in regulations to facilitate cleaning, the possible consequences of which, however, remain debated between experts and environmental defenders.
The mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Frédric Cuvillier, told AFP that the urban community was ready to co-finance the cleaning of the Liane. This still needs to be initiated by the owner of the basin, he added, targeting the regional council.