An additional 80 million euros to support “all wine regions which are in crisis” will be put on the table, Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau announced on Wednesday.
Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau announced on Wednesday that the government was putting an additional 80 million euros on the table to support “all wine regions which are in crisis”. In the midst of an agricultural crisis, the minister also explained on Sud Radio that the State would cover “loan interest for the year 2024” to relieve the cash flow of winegrowers in difficulty.
The government ready to finance a temporary vine uprooting campaign
The envelope of 80 million euros should make it possible “to cover the hazards encountered by a certain number of regions (…) it covers all the wine-growing regions which are in crisis, obviously”, explained the minister . He notably mentioned the coverage of production losses linked to mildew disease, which was particularly rife in Bordeaux in 2023. Winegrowers criticized insurers for not covering this type of hazard.
The government also said in the fall that it was ready to finance a campaign to temporarily uproot vines to reduce overproduction until consumption picks up again. Marc Fesneau indicated that the financing of this campaign could amount to 150 million euros intended to subsidize wine growers who uproot their vines. This measure will be subject to approval by the European Commission. This could concern “up to 100,000 hectares” (out of nearly 800,000 hectares of vines in 2020), according to him.
Tuesday, during his general policy statement to the National Assembly, the Prime Minister indicated that the “emergency fund” promised to wine growers would be released “before the end of the week”.