“National solidarity must be redefined”, claimed Monday August 15 on franceinfo Joël Limouzin, vice-president of the FNSEA, where he is in charge of the management of health and climatic risks, and president of the Chamber of Agriculture of Vendée. Rising costs, falling production… The drought accentuates the distress of cattle breeders. They are struggling to feed their animals, while the pastures are burning under the effect of the heat wave and the lack of water.
>> Drought: should we fear a shortage of milk in the coming months?
franceinfo: What is the situation?
Joel Limouzin: Since May, all the animals have to be fed as in the middle of winter. All the fodder stocks that were made in the spring have already been used up and it is the great concern of breeders that they will not have enough for next winter. Even if it is possible to have some with neighbors, it is often the cash that is lacking and the temptation is great for breeders to sell their animals prematurely. This risks temporarily clogging the market and will have an impact on prices. We are very vigilant. The other phenomenon which is overwhelming is this overwhelming heat wave which has tired the organisms of the animals. There are higher mortalities.
How are these sales going?
Some choose to send a few animals, not to wait until the last moment, to send the animals in good fattening condition for a good recovery. For dairy farmers, cows that were to leave in three or four months for culling, that is to say when they have no more milk or very little, leave now.
What are you waiting for?
There is a system called the agricultural calamity fund, which is obsolete and in full reform to have an insurance, private system, combined with a national solidarity fund. For 2022, this calamity fund will be activated for breeders, but I ask that we be able to review the criteria as we have been able to do for winegrowing.
The price increase was not enough to help you?
We do not find our account there because production costs have exploded, especially in terms of food and energy.
“I know that consumers have difficulty understanding, but to have producers who are at least paid 50 to 55 cents per litre, you have to sell it at 1 euro.”
Joël Limouzin, vice-president of the FNSEAat franceinfo
We ask for additional cents per liter of milk to allow breeders to have cash to be able to buy fodder. Otherwise, there will be a drop in milk and a dependence on external imports and we don’t want that. National solidarity must be redefined.
Shouldn’t the way cattle are fed be changed?
We have to take a step back. The adaptation system has already been in place for around ten years on farms. We have to put ourselves in the perspective of being able to produce fodder during the period when we are most likely to have humidity, that is to say autumn, winter, early spring. . This makes it possible to make stocks to be able to feed the animals. We have forage mixtures in many regions such as Aveyron and Lozère. If we want maintained landscapes, we need animals that maintain these territories and have an economic vocation. Meat is not detrimental, it is a matter of balanced diet. Drinking water, environmental balance, agriculture and industry, these three objectives must be integrated in parallel and that is how certain departments have the capacity to resist the vagaries of the weather.