Benjamin Peter (special correspondent in Vic-en-Bigorre), edited by Gauthier Delomez 06:52, June 25, 2022

A few days after the episodes of hail which fell in the south-west of France, it is time to take stock for the victims.

As for this cereal farmer, met by Europe 1 in Vic-en-Bigorre, in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

He describes the many damages he suffered, and the consequences for his crops.

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"They were only blocks of ice. At least tennis balls. At most, petanque balls. I've never seen that. Never!" Exclaims Patrick Pebille.

This cereal farmer from Vic-en-Bigorre, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, is one of the many victims of the hail which fell at the start of the week in the south-west of France.

Huge hailstones, real cannonballs, fell on the farmer's 150 hectares of corn.

Europe 1 went to meet him.

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This hail, not necessarily very dense, did a lot of damage to his field.

The grain farmer shows one of the impacts.

"There are one, two, three, four corn plants that are broken by the impact of hail. One hailstone, which broke four feet of corn! This is equivalent to 20% less harvest", laments- he at the microphone of Europe 1.

The hailstones caused holes in the grain carrier's shed.


Credits: Benjamin Peter/Europe 1

Faced with the shortage of materials

"With the drought, the season will be more complicated than expected," adds Patrick Pebille.

There are indeed major impacts on the photovoltaic roof of the cereal hangar.

As for its corn dryer, the roof is pierced in dozens of places.

"These are big holes of five to ten centimeters. A fallen hailstorm makes a hole. But the problem is that there are shortages of materials", continues the farmer.

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"Here, the harvest starts on October 1," he explains, "by then, it has to be out of water. But that's not sure. If it's not out of water, you can't dry the maize and it's really a disaster."

Patrick Pebille is now waiting for the experts, and for a carpenter to be quickly freed up to be ready for his next harvest.