A vine burnt by frost, in the Hérault - Hérault

Chamber of Agriculture

  • During the night of April 7 to 8, in the Hérault department, as elsewhere in France, the vines were ravaged by freezing cold, which fluctuated between 0 and -12 ° C.

  • In most of the department, the disaster affected 80% of surfaces, or even more.

    No exploitation has been spared, from the high cantons to the Aude border.

  • "It's a catastrophic phenomenon, which we have never experienced in this region," notes Boris Calmette, president of the group of cooperative wine growers.

    The former Languedoc-Roussillon has lost almost half of a wine harvest.

    In one night.

    "

“On the phone, I had people in tears, people disgusted, disgusted, distraught.

Sophie Noguès, president of the National Federation of Farmers' Unions (FNSEA) of Hérault, and winegrower in Sérignan, does not find "strong enough words" to describe the morale of her comrades, touched by an episode of "unprecedented" freeze.

"Morale is like temperatures, below zero," she says.

During the night of April 7 to 8, in Hérault, as elsewhere in France, the vines were ravaged by freezing cold, which fluctuated between 0 and -12 ° C.

If, east of Montpellier, and on the coast, the damage was significant, but limited (up to 30, even 50% of the surfaces were affected), in most of the department, the disaster affected 80 % of surfaces, or even more.

No farm has been spared.

“Including in areas that had never frozen for fifty years,” notes Jean-Philippe Granier, technical director of AOC Languedoc.

"The former Languedoc-Roussillon has lost almost half of a harvest"

“Unfortunately, there is a lot of damage here, and in the whole area,” says Sébastien Galtier, ex-third line of the MHR, and winemaker at Mas des Colibris, in Gignac.

“Never seen before,” deplores Diane Losfelt, at the Engarran castle in Lavérune.

"It's a catastrophic phenomenon, which we have never experienced in this region," notes Boris Calmette, president of the group of cooperative wine growers.

If it will be necessary to clarify things further in the coming weeks, we can already estimate that the former Languedoc-Roussillon has lost almost half of a wine harvest, 5 million hectoliters, or 500 million euros in turnover.

In one night.

"

"Our treasuries are very affected, non-existent"

Between 3 am and 7 am, the cold "roasted" the vines.

“The first bud that came out, which is fruitful, was affected,” explains Jérôme Despey, president of the Hérault chamber of agriculture, national secretary of the FNSEA and winegrower in the department.

There will, perhaps, be a counter bud, but will it be fruitful?

It depends on the grape varieties.

And there will always be a significant drop in production.

"For his part, Jean-Philippe Granier indicates that in some places, the plots are so damaged" that one cannot imagine a second generation of buds.

A frozen vine, in the Hérault - Chamber of Agriculture Hérault

If the frosts were expected, no one saw an episode of this force coming.

Especially since it comes after "an accumulation", deplores Jérôme Despey.

"The heatwave, which burned trees, vines and crops, repeated droughts, hail, floods, snow," he lists.

“We have been dealing with very significant climatic hazards for several years,” adds Camille Banton, president of the Young Farmers of Hérault and winemaker in Castelnau-le-Lez.

We met two years ago in a crisis unit to react to the exceptional heatstroke.

There are young people who are starting to wonder if this is really the job they will continue to do.

Our treasuries are very affected, non-existent.

"

Risk is also "the loss of market share"

Economically, the disaster is a tragedy for the operators.

“Whatever harvest you bring in, 70% of the loads are fixed.

They are the same from one year to the next, ”recalls Boris Calmette, who explains that“ the entire industry will be affected ”.

In the Hérault, on 80,000 hectares of vines, only 16% of the surfaces are insured.

But that does not cover all the losses of the operators.

For the others, the winegrowers are counting on a quick boost from the public authorities.

The risk is also that this disaster destabilizes the market.

“The consumer will have wine,” says Jérôme Despey.

But the fear is the loss of market share.

When there are small harvests, marketers risk going elsewhere to obtain their supplies to satisfy consumers.

I appeal to the patriotic responsibility of marketers and consumers.

"And, the winegrowers" also risk losing export markets ", deplores François-Régis Boussagnol, wine producer at Quarante.

Economy

The agricultural calamity regime will be activated after frost episodes

Economy

Bordeaux: The frost will cause "very significant harvest losses" in the vines

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