The debate finally took place: despite the strong tensions upon his arrival, Emmanuel Macron met on Saturday morning, during an impromptu exchange, farmers and representatives of the various trade union organizations at the Salon de la profession, highlighting his desire for “dialogue”.
An “emergency cash flow plan”
The president spoke of an “emergency cash flow plan” to relieve farmers.
“Starting next week, the ministers here present with me (from Agriculture Marc Fesneau and the delegate minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher), with their colleague from the Economy and Finance (Bruno Le Maire), will bring together the banks and “also all sectors to be able to put in place these cash flow plans”.
“We will launch a census in each region of farms which are in the greatest cash flow difficulties to be able to support them”he added.
“Floor prices”
The head of state formulated the objective “so we can get out” on “floor prices which will protect agricultural income”as part of the preparation of a new law governing relations between food stakeholders.
These “floor prices” will be based on the production cost indicators on which each sector (poultry, milk, beef, etc.) had to agree in order to objectify farmers’ production costs. These indicators already exist, but are not sufficiently taken into account for beef and milk, breeders criticize; on the other hand, taking this indicator into account is almost automatic in poultry production.
“It’s the most engaging thing we’ve ever done, what we’re saying to each other.”argued Emmanuel Macron.
“Major general interest”
Emmanuel Macron is committed to “recognize our agriculture and our food as a major general interest of the French nation. This will be enshrined in law, which will allow our agriculture to be protected in a firm and solid manner.”
A source within the executive then simply indicated that such a mention implied “legal consequences”.
In its efforts to calm the anger of farmers, the government indicated that it had, for example, drawn on the bill proposed by Senator LR Laurent Duplomb, which plans to declare water reserves for “major general interest” irrigation.
Gabriel Attal also said that the next agricultural law would devote agriculture “among the fundamental interests of the nation”.
The announcement caused a positive reaction from FNSEA members, such as Yohann Guedon, 48 years old, pig breeder in Charentes: “This is real progress. This recognition is that of the legitimacy of our activity, of general interest, which protects us against small groups. A water reservoir project will be a priority, it is extremely important, because here, without water, we don’t produce.”
Pesticides
The president reiterated his desire to avoid a pesticide being banned in France before the rest of the European Union, to avoid distortions of competition.
To do this, he wants the French health agency Anses, which is independent, to remain aligned with the European calendar and therefore not decree a ban in France before its neighbors. Bans are generally motivated by imperatives to protect human health and the environment.
In 2014, emphasized Emmanuel Macron, “I was not there, but there was a law which entrusted powers which were in the Ministry of Agriculture to ANSES”.
“Anses works on a scientific basis (…) and therefore it makes decisions which are then imposed on the administration. (…) I can’t do anything about it (…) and so we take back power by saying we’re doing it at European level”, he said.
He also said he wanted to look at the possibility of “reopening at European level” banned molecules, without explaining what he meant.
Right to make mistakes
Among multiple government commitments on the simplification of standards and the relaxation of controls, Emmanuel Macron also told farmers that he wanted to extend the “right to make mistakes” to the agricultural world, “which we do not have managed to do so far”, due in particular to restrictions linked to EU law and environmental standards. An LR bill from MP Anne-Laure Blin exists in this sense.
“The right to make mistakes, I think it’s also quite simple, it’s to say when I do something stupid once, they advise me, they help me to correct it. If I do it twice, it’s “I’m cheating.”
