Pauses on standards, free vaccination, wolf attacks… Government announcements to try to reassure the agricultural world

With the Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard, Michel Barnier went to the Livestock Summit, in Puy-de-Dôme, to support professionals facing financial and epidemic difficulties.

The executive at the bedside of farmers. Michel Barnier and the Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard are in Cournon-d’Auvergne (Puy-de-Dôme) for the Livestock Show, Friday October 4. Already on Wednesday, the Prime Minister had received in Matignon the head of the powerful National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA), Arnaud Rousseau.

Faced with farmers in full doubt, the government announced a series of measures. Franceinfo summarizes the planned boosts.

Free vaccination for flocks affected by sheep fever

The Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, did not wait for the Prime Minister to go to the Livestock Show. As of Thursday, facing breeders affected by the bluetongue 3 (FCO 3) epidemic, the former Doubs MP affirmed that “free vaccination paid for by the State will now be open to all of France for the sheep industry” affected by this disease. In his general policy declaration on Tuesday, Michel Barnier had already promised to “sustain” the farmers “when they are hit by crises, whether climatic or health, as is currently the case with bluetongue.”

The Prime Minister, former Minister of Agriculture under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2009, announced from the show “an envelope of 75 million euros” for sheep breeders victims of the epizootic, and promised “loans guaranteed by the State for farms that need them”. According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture, as of October 3, 4,644 outbreaks of this sheep fever transmitted by a midge have been recorded since its first detection at the beginning of August in the north of France.

The implementation of this free vaccination and this emergency fund constitute “already recognition of our profession”, “a ray of hope”reacted Friday morning on franceinfo Michèle Boudoin, the president of the National Sheep Federation. “We were waiting for this strong signal”she added. However, Patrick Bénézit, president of the National Bovine Federation, assured on RTL on Friday that the sector was waiting for the vaccines to be reimbursed “for all vector-borne diseases” and that it was necessary for the affected farmers “to be compensated” for their losses. For dead sheep alone, agricultural unions have calculated that compensation could represent more than 100 million euros.

A pause in standards

Michel Barnier has heard the call from farmers to simplify the standards that govern production. “These farmers who are affected by health crises, poor harvests, deserve to be encouraged. They are fed up. Fed up with constraints, rules and controls. So, we are going to make a break on standards”he promised Thursday in the show “L’Evénement”, on France 2.

An announcement also welcomed by Michèle Boudouin: “It’s time to take a break from everything that weighs on the shoulders of farmers”. “I don’t think any other socio-professional category has as much regulatory pressure”or suffers as much “climatic hazards” or the “health crises”estimated the president of the National Sheep Federation.

Resumption of the orientation bill for agricultural sovereignty

The dissolution decided by Emmanuel Macron had put on hold the draft orientation law on agriculture, presented after the demonstrations in the sector at the beginning of 2024. Michel Barnier announced Tuesday during his general policy declaration that his government “would resume without delay”.

Annie Genevard announced Thursday on France Bleu Auvergne that the text, adopted in May by the National Assembly before the dissolution, would be sent directly to the Senate. “This text of law contains measures that farmers expect, they told me so”argued the minister. This bill places agriculture as a major general interest, sets up a one-stop shop for the establishment of new farmers, and facilitates the construction of livestock buildings or water reserves.

Support for dairy producers in the face of Lactalis

The giant Lactalis confirmed at the end of September its intention to reduce the volumes of milk collected from French farms for international markets from the end of the year. An announcement which had the effect of a bomb among the producers. At the livestock show, Annie Genevard was questioned on the subject. Guillaume Faucogney, who came from Haute-Saône, explained to him that this decision would cause him to lose half of his production within twelve months: “We are asking for an extension of the deadlines, to see how we are doing on our farms, because in twelve months, it is complicated”he assured AFP.

“We really need to organize the response, it also shows that the great dependence on a group like this is a factor of fragility for your farms, we need to think about a strategy that protects you from this form of contempt which was opposed to you”replied the minister. She also said that she was going to meet stakeholders in the dairy industry, starting with the president of the dairy giant, “to tell them that no breeder can be left by the wayside”, reports France Bleu Auvergne.

A possible increase in the number of wolves to be killed

The wolf continues to decimate herds. Faced with these new attacks, the president of the Haute-Saône Chamber of Agriculture, Thierry Chalmin, urged breeders in his department, in a letter published Wednesday by the regional daily The Republican Eastto arm themselves and “type” illegally from wolves to meet the “failure of the State and the Republic”.

From Cournon-d’Auvergne, Prime Minister Michel Barnier expressed his concern about “the damage that wolves do to many farms, breaking the morale of breeders”. He considered that the “new assessment of the number of wolves” expected “mid-December” would constitute “a key moment to increase sampling capacity”that is to say the number of slaughters of the anima

Michel Barnier also welcomed the fact that there was “a movement on this issue towards less ideology and more pragmatism at European level”citing Brussels’ recent approval to lower the wolf’s protection status.