In 15 years, € 765,000 has been paid to young farmers in the Morlaix area for their installation. Depending on the profile, the aid amounts to € 3,500 or € 4,500. A welcome boost at a delicate moment.
It was 15 years ago, under the aegis of Yvon Hervé, then president of the intercommunality. "We were the first community of communes in Finistère to help young farmers," said Yves
Moisan, Vice President of the Economy. A decision taken with the agricultural world, which makes sense given the weight of the sector in the territory (read below).
"Good expenses"
Since 2003, € 765,000 has been paid to help install 230 farmers. By 2018, nine of them have benefited. "But for 2019, we are working on 35 files," says Yves Moisan, a sign that "transmissions are done" . It will remain to check "whether it will compensate departures" , but what is certain for the elected is that "these expenses are good expenses" . The assistance provided by the intermunicipal community amounts to € 3,500 in conventional, € 4,500 in organic farming.
"This is not an additional administrative layer , " says Gaëlle Guiocheau, from the Chamber of Agriculture. The request for help is made automatically for future farmers under 40 years old who are involved in the "young farmer endowment" course.
Fifteen internships
On Friday, November 23, the farmers helped were invited to one of them. Raphaël Godec, 20, has been living in Sainte-Sève since January 1st with his father. He already had a dairy farm in Taulé, but the place was lacking. They took over a third of this farm in which Raphael did one of his fifteen courses. Today, their Gaec (agricultural group operating jointly), it is 800,000 liters of milk produced by 95 cows on 108 ha.
For the young man, settling in as soon as possible was obvious. "But fortunately I'm supported by my family. This first year is certainly not the easiest. "That's when we need help," he pleads. Problem: neither his young farmer endowment nor the aid of the Pac (Common Agricultural Policy) have yet been paid.
Weekends to blow
In the assembly, there were also more atypical courses, like that of Florent Morin, 24 years old. After studying agricultural engineering, he finally took the opportunity to join the dairy farm of his uncle (who retired) in Saint-Thégonnec. They are six associates, which allows everyone to have weekends, and Florent to continue to train for the job.
In return, the young man brings his expertise. Convinced that "agriculture has a role to play in preserving the environment" , he is carrying out a micro-methanisation project (transformation of waste into biogas), "which will only valorize livestock effluents" . Today, like other young farmers, he does not regret having chosen the land.
A sector of weight in the territory
In the territory of Morlaix community, agriculture is 630 farms, or one in ten companies! With about 1,150 direct jobs in production, this sector also accounts for one in ten jobs. More generally, the total employment related to agriculture is 1,560, or 12% of employees (compared to 5% at the departmental level).
All of these productions are worth 206 million euros in sales, or 10% of agricultural sales at the Finistère level.