The late frost devastated part of the French harvests, as here with an Ardèche winegrower.

-

PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP

Prime Minister Jean Castex promised this Saturday "exceptional envelopes" to help farmers cope with the frost episode which this week affected 10 of the 13 French regions, announcing immediately the removal of the cap from the compensation scheme agricultural disasters.

The frost that covered a large part of France this week is shaping up to be one of the worst in decades, with many crops, especially vineyards and orchards, having been hit from north to south of the country.

The agricultural disaster regime, triggered on Friday by the government, compensates for crop losses and losses of funds caused by abnormal variations in the intensity of a natural climatic agent (drought, flood, frost…).

The Agricultural Disaster Fund is funded by a 5.5% tax on compulsory insurance.

This contribution is capped at 60 million euros per year and the State supplements it with subsidies up to the needs in the event of major climatic disasters.

"France needs strong agriculture"

The government also intends to "use all the means at our disposal in such circumstances, in particular in relation to the charges", and will "bring together bankers, insurers and all the actors who will be able to be mobilized" to respond to this crisis, added the Prime Minister after a visit to a farm in Ardèche.

"We will have to go further by releasing exceptional budgets motivated by this exceptional situation", explained this Saturday Jean Castex, assuring that "the government, the State will assume the responsibilities which are its own".

Faced with climatic phenomena which "tend to repeat themselves, we can clearly see that all this is linked to the climate change which is at work", added the Prime Minister.

According to him, it will be necessary to "continue and amplify structural actions" to adapt agriculture and the entire economy to this change, in particular through the next European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the current climate bill. under discussion in the National Assembly.

"France needs, and it is also a question of sovereignty, of a strong agriculture", insisted Jean Castex at the end of his intervention in Colombier-le-Cardinal.

Magazine

Hérault: "It's a catastrophic phenomenon", the frost has ravaged the vines and the morale of the winegrowers

Bordeaux

Gironde: With -5 degrees recorded, a first wave of frost hits the Bordeaux vineyards

  • Video

  • Weather forecast

  • Society

  • Severe weather

  • Natural disaster

  • Jean Castex