Benjamin Peter 2:19 p.m., June 06, 2022
Two days after the bad weather that hit half of France, it's time to take stock for farmers.
Europe 1 went to meet a winegrower in the Gers, who lost all of his production due to hail.
A white year is announced for 2023. He calls on the State to take strong measures.
After the high heat which led to a drought of the land, the farmers suffered the bad weather.
This Saturday, almost half of France was placed in orange vigilance for thunderstorms.
The hailstorms disrupted their activity, especially in the Gers, where Europe 1 encountered a winegrower who suffered heavy damage.
If all the plots have not yet been identified, it is estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 hectares of vines have been affected.
Two Côtes de Gascogne, Floc de Gascogne but above all Armagnac.
The hail arrived from the west to the northeast of this area and hailstones, sometimes the size of a golf ball, caused immense damage in the Landes and in the Gers.
A dozen farms lost all of their harvests.
A real blow.
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An insurance reform to better cover farmers?
"In front of my house, there is nothing left," says Vincent Piquemal, based in Castelnau-d'Auzan.
"It's like being in the middle of winter. It's sad, a total loss... There won't be a liter of wine leaving the estate and it's also a loss of harvest for 2023 compared to the bunches that will appear next year. The bunches form on the vine the year before in the future buds. As we are in a period of stress, since there are no more leaves, these bunches will preform badly so we can expect at best 50% next year."
Vincent Piquemal must meet the Minister of Agriculture.
He expects to be placed in a state of natural disaster, but above all wishes to reform the insurance system so that they compensate better in the event of exceptional disasters.