Anger of farmers: hotlines to identify farms on the verge of bankruptcy

Charles Luylier / Photo credit: Anatolii STEPANOV / FAO / AFP 7:41 a.m., February 27, 2024

Farmers who no longer have the luxury of waiting.

To help farms on the verge of financial collapse, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday, while he was at the Agricultural Show, the implementation of an emergency cash flow plan.

This system is being put in place from this Monday and it is the prefects who will be responsible for identifying the cases in greatest difficulty.

But we have to act quickly, farmers are in a hurry.

This is the case of Sophie and Gérard, who own 170 hectares of wheat fields in Castelnaudary (Hérault).

Land that brings them almost nothing: "Today the price of wheat is around 180 euros per tonne, and in terms of cost we must be around 170 euros. If you sell for 180 euros and you earn 170 euros, you painfully earn 10 euros per tonne", described Sophie to Europe 1.

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Financial but also moral support

An obvious lack of profitability for the farming couple.

Consequence: for 4 years, they have encountered enormous cash flow problems.

“This year, we are going to close at around -40,000 euros” and to be profitable explains Sophie, this sum would have to amount to 70,000 euros, a significant difference. 

The complete cessation of activity now seems inevitable without the promised support.

But what Gérard, the husband, wants is above all, and beyond administrative matters, moral support.

He can't take it anymore and thinks of the worst: "we think about suicide. These are things that come up quite often... But at least, they're only thoughts" he concedes.

Gérard and Sophie, for whom time is running out, are impatiently awaiting the establishment of these hotlines.