While farmers have been severely affected for nearly two weeks by an intense episode of frost, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Saturday April 17 the creation of a “Exceptional solidarity fund” endowed with one billion euros to help the profession.
“The state must be up to this catastrophe. In exceptional situation, exceptional measures. I came to announce a significant effort by the State, to the tune of one billion euros, because the situation justifies it ”, declared Jean Castex at the end of a round table with agricultural representatives and elected officials in Montagnac, in Hérault. This fund is in addition to all the other aid paid and will be triggered according to the “Real losses” suffered, which will be declared in the coming months by the producers.
The Prime Minister spoke of other emergency measures, “Which will be rapidly deployed” : postponement and exemption from social contributions, relief from property taxes on unbuilt land, mobilization of existing mechanisms in terms of partial activity, emergency budget allocated “Within ten to fifteen days” to the prefects to provide immediate support to the farms most in difficulty… Compensation for arborists under the agricultural disaster system will be increased to 40% for the most significant losses. For sectors that are not currently covered by this agricultural disaster regime, in particular winegrowers, similar exceptional support will be put in place.
Half of fruit production could be lost
At least a third of French wine production “Will be lost” because of the frost, which represents “About 2 billion euros in turnover less” for the sector, according to a first estimate communicated Friday by the secretary general of the FNSEA, Jérôme Despey.
As for fruit producers, apricot is already one of the main victims, with a loss of production estimated at this stage at 60%. “We risk having apricots at the start of the season and the more we go in the season, the less there will be”, breathes Bruno Darnaud, president of the PDO peaches and apricots of France. “In peaches and nectarines, we hope for a 60-65% harvest”, adds Mr. Darnaud. He fears that some of the nectarines present “A slightly more complicated visual aspect”, with some “Split pits, deformed fruits” by frost.
For apples, “We are still in the pre-assessment”, advance carefully Daniel Sauvaitre, president of the National Association of apples and pears (ANPP). At this stage, “Roughly speaking, we say to ourselves that the minimum losses will be around 30%, and in the worst case it can be 50%” for the production of apples. “Historically, a half-harvest has never happened”, he notes. “With a wet finger”, Mr. Darnaud believes that France can expect to lose this year ” half “ of its fruit production, a shortfall of 1.5 billion euros.
For rapeseed and beet crops, losses are estimated at 10% of the usual figure. This episode of frost is another hard blow for these crops which have been collecting disappointments in recent years: droughts and inexorable decline in areas for rapeseed; end of sugar quotas, fall in prices, followed by jaundice disease for beet. For the latter, it is possible to reseed. But with heavy yield losses and significant costs: a total of 600 euros of shortfall per hectare, according to the union of beet growers.