Paris (AFP)
The Modef agricultural union on Wednesday called for the activation of a French aid fund and a European crisis reserve to help breeders facing drought, and called for an end to "speculation" on the prices of straw and hay.
In a press release, Modef called for the activation of the national agricultural risk management fund (FNGRA) to compensate livestock farmers exposed to drought damage, and the triggering of the agricultural crisis reserve resulting from the common agricultural policy (PAC ) in the amount of 478 million euros.
In the text signed by its national president Pierre Thomas, the union also protested against the soaring prices of straw and hay this summer, "reaching record prices of up to 160 euros per tonne for straw" and demanded the 'introduction of a ceiling price of 75 euros per tonne (integrated transport) for straw and 90 euros per tonne for hay "in order to stop speculation on straw and hay".
Many herders are forced to buy straw and hay because they lack it for their livestock, the meadows being scorched by the drought that has raged since spring in much of France.
Many of them have already started to feed their animals with the hay gathered in the spring, theoretically to allow them to pass the winter.
"The breeders ask their cereal colleagues for solidarity by reserving a quantity of straw to be able to supply them", they also hope for "free motorway tolls for the transport of straw", indicates Modef, fourth agricultural union behind the FNSEA , the Rural Coordination and the Confédération paysanne.
Incidentally, the union protests against "agricultural crops dedicated to methanization", or production of gas and energy via agricultural biomass, techniques in full development. "Unfortunately, straw is used for purposes other than breeding, in particular as fuel in methanization", underlines the text.
"We must abandon the production of energy from agricultural products, which are intended for human and animal consumption," said Modef, "scandalized" that certain crops are devoted to energy development. "The use of these crops jeopardizes food sovereignty," argues the union.
© 2020 AFP