Yoann Tritz and Manon Fossat 2 p.m., February 26, 2022
Mobilized by the Russian invasion in Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the Agricultural Show this Saturday morning with a shortened visit.
In particular, he called on food players "to be responsible" so that the annual trade negotiations lead to "fair remuneration" for the work of farmers, who also make them have to face the consequences of the war.
The Agricultural Show opened this Saturday morning at Porte de Versailles, in Paris, with the presence of Emmanuel Macron.
The Head of State cut the traditional inauguration ribbon under the gaze of Neige, the muse cow of the event, after calling on food players "to be responsible" for the negotiations, which took place end on Tuesday, lead to a "fair remuneration" for the work of farmers.
"What we are going through will not be without consequences for the agricultural world and the sectors that are yours", also warned the Head of State, while professionals fear retaliatory measures on exports after the sanctions imposed on Russia.
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"It will not be without consequences on the increase in energy costs, it will not be without consequences on livestock feed, its cost, perhaps even the ability to supply", warned the president who has indicated that the government is working on "a resilience plan" to deal with the consequences of this war in Ukraine.
At the Salon de l'Agriculture, the tension was palpable this Saturday morning.
Voices are raised in particular on the side of cereals because Russia is the main exporter of natural gas such as nitrogen, present in fertilizers.
Market panic with the war in Ukraine
In one year, its price has more than doubled and the situation is not going to improve according to Jean-François Loiseau, president of the sector.
"To make healthy products and products that are not very expensive, you have to keep costs down, and the fertilizer budget is very important. So the consequences of the war will be not only that prices will increase enormously, but perhaps also the scarcity of these fertilizers for the spring", he says in the program
Europe Midi week-end
.
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The grain market, precisely, worries the various breeders.
The price of wheat has increased by almost 20% in the space of a few hours.
Ukraine is indeed the eighth largest exporter in the world.
A problematic increase in costs for François Valy, pork producer.
“It is true that today, unfortunately with what is happening in Ukraine, there is automatically high inflation and panic in the markets for 48 hours. The situation since last summer is already very, very complicated. So this situation should not worsen on raw materials and on all ancillary products. Because for pig production, it is already complicated, it will be impossible to live with, "he assured .
The issue of transmission for new generations of farmers
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on Saturday, Samuel Vandaele, president of Young Farmers, explained that he shared these concerns.
"At this stage, these are only concerns, but we would like to be able to put in place a certain number of measures to protect more particularly young people who are a little more vulnerable because they often have a higher debt ratio with sectors which are already in crisis”, he asked before continuing.
“Among other things, I am thinking of pork, which is going through an unprecedented crisis. And then, at the same time, we are in the process of finalizing trade negotiations with all of the industrialists and large retailers. more sea, which could slow down production."
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Emmanuel Macron indeed called this Saturday morning the large distribution to better remunerate the farmers.
This is what Samuel Vandaele expects, but not only.
"Behind this remuneration, there is also a strong stake in the renewal of generations. More than one in three farmers will retire in the next ten years. And if we are not able today to show prospects to these young people, we will end up with an abandonment of our agriculture and therefore an abandonment of our food", he warned.
"This is why Emmanuel Macron said at the end of his speech that he wanted to set up a real transmission system. That is to say, to support people who will retire in the ten years to come. handing over their farm to young people via sponsorship or other operations... And that meets one of our strong demands at the moment."